Cousin, Mine
by T.S. Blue
Summary: When your family is in trouble, you have to to figure out new ways to hold on... which sometimes means letting go. Rated T for more serious subject matter. Complete.
1. One Sided Conversation With a Mule

_Hi, everyone! While I'm not 100 percent done writing this one, I'm close enough to start posting it._

_A couple of notes - first, this is sort of a sequel to_ _**Duke Luck Shines on Hazzard**._ _You don't have to read that one to understand what's going on in this one, but you do need to know the timeline. This is after the boys have been busted for running moonshine, and they're on probation, but the General does not yet exist. This story doesn't always follow canon events, either, or at least not those presented in **Happy Birthday, General Lee**. I won't make a case for the inconsistencies within the series here, I'll just say that there are plenty of them and I have a habit of choosing what I like and disregarding the contradictory stuff._

_Speaking of timelines, this story incorporates some real events that took place in March of 1976. You'll see those when they come by. I am not completely true to the actual events, but I use a lot of them. _

_There will be more notes as the story progesses; I won't bore you with them all here._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Dukes or settings for this story, and no money is being made. Though this story contains some real events, it does not involve any real people, living or dead._

_Cheers!_

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**Chapter 1 – One-Sided Conversation With a Mule**

The rumbling overhead was enough to set Jesse Duke's teeth on edge. Had it been thunder, it wouldn't have bothered him nearly so much. But of course, it was more threatening than thunder, what with it coming from within the second floor of his own house. He'd tried to ignore it, but when he heard a familiar crash, he could stand it no longer.

"Boys!" the patriarch hollered up the stairs. "I want you to quit that, this minute."

All he heard in return was laughter and continued thumping. Taking the stairs two at a time, much as he would have done a decade earlier, the white haired man yelled again.

"Bo! Luke! Now you boys just settle down right now!"

Finally, his two nephews went silent. Though he did not need to, Jesse showed the youngsters the courtesy of knocking on the door to the bedroom that they shared.

"Yes, sir?" came the voice of the younger of the two.

Always one to take charge, Luke called, "Come in."

Doing as his older nephew suggested, Jesse struggled to hold onto his anger. Apparently neither boy had moved since hearing their uncle's voice a few moments ago. Precisely as the patriarch had predicted, Bo's bed had been pushed out of position, and Luke's had half tipped on its side, putting yet another scar on wall to its right. Between the beds were two very guilty looking young men, Bo on his back with an arm around Luke's neck, while the older boy was squashing the younger into the floor with most of his weight. Four earnest blue eyes, two indigo and two misty, looked up at him, as if unaware of the ridiculous positions of their bodies.

"You boys is too old for this. One of these days you're gonna break somethin' or hurt each other. Bo…"

"Yes, sir?" the young blonde answered automatically.

"Get out from under your cousin there and go down and get at Maudine's stall."

"Yes, sir," the boy repeated without enthusiasm, as Luke got up and extended his hand, helping his younger cousin up. The boys smirked at one another in tacit challenge to see this through later, and Bo left the room.

"Now, Luke, I don't know what gets into you boys sometimes," his uncle began. "But I don't want to see no more of this kind of behavior, not in the house. There's a whole outdoors you boys can roll around in, if you're of a mind to be fools."

"Yes, sir," his dark haired nephew answered, but without quite the same respectful tone that Bo had used. This was the older, supposedly more responsible one, but he'd also developed quite an independent streak, right from the time he was small. And that part of his personality hadn't exactly diminished during his years in the Marines when he was stationed in Vietnam. While this boy understood orders and rank, he also knew how to be rather disobedient from time to time.

"You put this room back together, then you come downstairs and help your other cousin in the kitchen."

"Aw, Jesse…" Luke would have taken cleaning up after the family mule over cooking, any day. Jesse Duke knew exactly how to punish each of his boys.

"You do as I tell you, boy. You ain't so big I can't still tan your hide if I so decide."

"Yes, sir." This time Luke meant it, his uncle could tell. He placed a hand on the young man's forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"That's my boy," he said with a wink, seeing how Luke's eyes brightened just a little bit at the praise. He might be a something of a challenge, that one, but he still responded well to a kind word.

* * *

"What're we makin'?" Luke asked without much gusto. 

Daisy matched his gloom with some of her own: "Well, it's gonna be beans, rice and corn and that's all it's gonna be, so don't you go givin' me a hard time about it."

Eyebrows raised, Luke decided on a more careful approach to this cousin. Bo might be his equal in a wrestling match, but Daisy could take him easily, as she did not hesitate to use weapons. Her older cousin spotted at least three within easy reach; a frying pan, a spatula and a whisk. The latter two wouldn't hurt so bad, but the frying pan was closest, so he decided against taking any risks.

"I ain't plannin' on givin' you a hard time, sweetheart. I'm here to help."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Luke. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just – we ain't got much that I can make, and I know you boys work hard, and you need a good meal…"

Luke laid a gentle hand on the heavily burdened shoulder of the only surviving female Duke. Sometimes he forgot just how much she'd taken on when their aunt had died a good dozen years ago. It seemed natural by now that she did so much for the small family, but, as Luke suddenly reminded himself, she didn't have to. Daisy had chosen to try to fill some very big shoes, and it always bothered her when she thought she wasn't living up to her aunt's legacy.

"It's okay," he told her. "We'll eat what there is, and no complainin', I promise you." Daisy's head dropped as she nodded, and Luke reeled her into an embrace. "I know we're struggling Daisy-girl, but we'll work it out. You'll see."

The beautiful young woman pulled away and resumed her preparations. She pointed Luke in the direction of the ears of corn that needed shucking. Daisy didn't mind that her protective cousin was comforting her, but there was still work to be done, and she couldn't indulge in too much of Luke's attention right now. She knew that he and Bo had been working extra hard, preparing the acreage and sowing a whole new crop this year, and while she couldn't always be of tremendous help in the fields, she could at least keep them in decent meals. Even if it was just beans, corn and rice, it would be the very best beans, corn and rice the three men in her life had ever tasted.

* * *

"Ya know, Maudine, all that goes into you is hay and oats. How come what comes out smells so dang bad?" 

Jesse had to laugh as he heard his youngest charge's one-sided conversation with the aging mule. Leave it to that boy to try to reason with the livestock.

"How's it going, Bo?" The older man decided to announce himself, so that the blonde would have a human to vent his frustrations on.

"Oh, just fine, Uncle Jesse," the boy answered in tone that made it clear that 'fine' was exactly the opposite of the way he felt about things. At 19, the youngster still hadn't mastered sarcasm, but Jesse had no doubt that his older cousin would teach it to him, just as he'd taught the boy everything else. For now, though, Jesse was glad that at least one of his kids was still young enough to be emotionally transparent.

"Maudine there, she don't mean to make you mad, you know. It ain't fair to yell at her 'cause you're upset with me."

"Aw, Uncle Jesse, I ain't mad. It's just, me and Luke was only havin' some fun, you know? We wasn't gonna hurt nothin'," Bo said, as he continued to withdraw the mule's deposits.

"You wasn't plannin' on hurtin' nothin', I know. But you and Luke ain't kids anymore. You could do more damage by mistake than you mean to, the way you two get goin'. You might even hurt each other."

"Aw, Jesse, we'd never."

"Not on purpose, I know. I'm glad you boys is like that, never wantin' to hurt the other. But you're big enough now that wrestlin' thataway you could break a bone or pop somethin' out of joint. An' you know, Bo, this year we really can't do without either one of you."

Guilty eyes slid away from the patriarch's matching deep blue glance. The teenager knew that the family wouldn't be in such need if not for him. After all, they'd managed without Luke for three years while he was serving in the Marines. But since Luke's return less than a year ago, the Dukes had been forced to give up their business, a trade that had been handed down for more than 200 years. Moonshine whiskey had kept the family and farm together since before the Revolutionary War, and while the sale of homemade alcohol products had gone in and out of vogue, they had always managed to keep one step ahead of the law when delivering their own special brew. That was, until last summer, when Bo and Luke had gotten caught making a 'shine run. Bo had been behind the wheel, and had never really forgiven himself for what happened. Though he and Luke had been given probation rather than a prison sentence, thanks in large part to fancy footwork by the very ATF agent that had caught them, the family was now in the process of trying to earn its living solely from the crops they could grow. So far it had been an uphill climb, and one Bo was certain the family wouldn't have had to make, if Jesse or Luke or anyone else had been driving that night.

Misunderstanding the youngster's bodily shift and downward stare, Jesse softened all the same. "It's time you and Luke grew up some, is all I'm sayin'. Don't get to playin' so rough. We all need to stay healthy, you understand?"

"Yes, sir," the teen answered, still entrenched in his own misery. "I'm done here. Think I'll go check on the cotton, see how it's doin'."

Jesse nodded, knowing that the cotton could certainly grow without Bo to watch it, but figuring the youngster needed to walk off some of what had transpired that afternoon. Sometimes that boy was terribly sensitive.

"Dinner's in an hour; don't be late."

Just nine months ago, Jesse would not have pictured a day like today. First off, his oldest, newly back from the Marines, had been avoiding his family as much as possible while still living, working, eating, and sleeping under the same roof with them. Then there was Bo, shy around Luke, but confident behind the wheel of a car. At the time it seemed that they'd both become so adult that Jesse figured they'd outgrown the playfulness of their childhood. His boys might not have been very happy, but they'd seemed comparatively mature.

Since getting caught on that moonshine run in August, the younger Duke men had worked extra hard, preparing the farm to support itself with new crops. The corn, which they'd grown in such abundance in order to make the whiskey, wouldn't sell for much on the open market, and wasn't worth harvesting for any purpose other than feeding the family and those very few neighbors that did not grow it themselves. There was, however, a cotton mill in Hazzard, and the family could produce plenty of that particular crop on their land. In turn they'd sell it to the mill for processing, thereby sustaining themselves and keeping the land that meant so much to them all. The four of them had tilled more fields than they'd ever planted before, and just last week they'd sowed the new crop. What Bo was going to look at now was only barely emerging and wouldn't flower for another month at least. But it was the future of the Duke family, and Jesse wouldn't chastise his youngest for taking an interest in seeing that it was in good condition.

For all the maturity they'd seemed to have last summer, come the New Year, those boys of his had reverted to the behavior they'd exhibited before Luke had ever gone away. They spent their days in the barn, building an engine for a racecar that they did not yet have, and their nights at the Boar's Nest with a young lady apiece, and never the same one twice in a month. They'd also begun playing rough games with one another again, like they hadn't done since Bo was smaller than Luke and always testing his strength against his older cousin. Well, things had changed since then, and Bo was now taller than Luke, and Luke was far stronger than he'd been before running thousands of miles through Southeast Asia with all of his belongings on his back. Unless those boys of his stopped acting like kids, there might be no farmhouse left to live in after awhile. And now that the cotton was in the ground, they'd cranked up their wild behavior yet another notch.

Jesse didn't know exactly when Bo and Luke had taken that wrong turn, but he'd have to do his best to keep them busy, so they came back around to being the responsible and mature young men he'd worked so hard to raise.

* * *

Bo joined the family at the table just in time. He got a stern glance from Jesse for his tardiness and another for lifting the lid off one of the serving bowls and trying to sneak a look at the food before grace. It seemed that this was a day that he was destined to disappoint his family. And, without thinking, he did it again. 

"Where's the meat?" he asked, innocently.

"Bo!" both cousins yelled at him. With a quick glance, the blonde could tell he'd hurt Daisy and angered Luke, but he didn't know exactly how he'd done it.

"Everyone just simmer down," Jesse suggested, as calmly as he could. "Bo, just eat what's in front of you. Daisy, it looks real good."

"Sorry," Bo muttered, though he didn't know why he was saying it, or to whom.

The boys skipped going out that night, with Bo citing a lack of money for his reasoning. Luke didn't know why that mattered, since they didn't go to drink; more to socialize, if you could call it that. But if Bo wasn't going, Luke would stay behind as well. As the two of them got ready for bed much earlier than usual, light blue eyes searched darker ones, a little worried.

"You feel all right, cousin?"

"Yeah, just tired, I reckon."

"Somethin' on your mind?"

"Naw, I just want to sleep is all," Bo answered, getting into the bed parallel to Luke's.

"Okay, cuz, but if you got somethin' to say, I'm right here, all right?"

"I know it, Luke. Good night."

Luke had lived with him long enough to know not to bother fighting the younger boy. He'd come out with whatever was bothering him soon enough. "'Night, Bo."


	2. Let's Switch

_Hi all - thanks for the reviews! It's great to hear from so many of you._

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard or any of the main characters. Although some of the events that come up later in this story actually happened, none of the people are real. _

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Chapter 2 – Let's Switch

The early March sun was surprisingly warm on Luke's back as he lifted heavy bales of hay into his uncle's pickup. The family had more drivers than working vehicles this spring, seeing as they'd let the old '48 Chevy pickup sit through the winter without upkeep. Luke had been using that ancient hunk of steel until the first freeze, when they all had to admit it wouldn't be safe on the roads anymore. This left them shy of wheels until he and Bo finished their prized possession, which right now consisted of most of an engine. Both of their minds held a picture of the fastest stock car ever, and the completion of the engine they'd been building was only days away. However, after that they'd have to find a chassis and frame, and that could take a very long time, considering the specific needs of their conception.

In the meantime, they all shared Jesse's pickup and the yellow Plymouth that was once Luke's but now mostly belonged to Daisy. The official transfer of ownership on that particular vehicle was scheduled for the day that Bo and Luke finished their own creation, however, it was just a formality. As the only one heading into town on a daily basis, it was clear that Daisy required the car more than anyone else. Hidden away, no longer used by any of them though she was kept in excellent running condition, was Jesse's moonshine runner, Sweet Tilly. She'd last been used on that night seven months ago when the boys had been trying to deliver a 'shine order into the Uchee swamp, but had crashed the old black Ford on the bank of the river, instead. Luke certainly wished they'd never been caught, but the chase had been spectacular, and if not for the natural driving talent of his younger cousin, the brunette firmly believed they both would have died instead of walking away from that crash.

When Luke finished loading the hay, he called to Bo to join him so they could deliver it to the Davenport's farm, where their friend Cooter lived on a part time basis. The rest of the time, their mechanic buddy stayed in the garage in town, which he was in the process of inheriting from his father. Old Jerome Davenport wasn't really that old, but he was ready to retire all the same, having worked full time since the age of 13. Like much of the rest of southern Appalachia, Hazzard had long been a town that revolved around cars, and while Jesse and his compatriots had begun delivering 'shine in their early teens, their cars had been kept in good running condition by Cooter's father since he was hardly more than a boy himself. In fact, aside from J.D. Hogg, there probably wasn't a single soul in Hazzard over the age of 50 with more than an 8th grade education. Bo, Luke, Daisy, and Cooter had come along a generation and a half later, at a time when school was more highly valued. Each of them had graduated high school; Cooter by the skin of his teeth, Daisy with honors, and Bo had finally forced his way through less than a year before.

Luke tossed his younger cousin the car keys, knowing that he'd prefer to drive, and hoping that it would open him up a little. Though Bo did not seem as out of sorts this morning as he had the night before, it was clear there was something on his mind. Before Luke had gone into the military, Bo would tell him anything and everything, frequently annoying his older cousin to no end. Now that the blonde was an adult, he more often tried to work things through on his own. Luke had to admit that it was a sign of maturity, but he missed the open-hearted boy that he'd left behind.

"What's up, Bo?" Luke asked, thinking that his maybe cousin would talk to him, now that they were rolling towards their friend's farm.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing."

"Huh?"

"I don't know Luke, it just seems," Bo sucked in a deep breath, "It seems like you and Daisy was mad at me last night and I don't even know why. At least I knew why Jesse was upset with me, but not you two."

"Aw, Bo, I wasn't really mad. Daisy's just been under some strain is all. Right now we ain't got much, and she's trying to use what little we got to give us good meals. She was already feeling down about not havin' any meat on the table, and then when you mentioned it…"

"I didn't know, Luke! How come you guys never tell me anything?"

"Hey, Bo, it ain't like we had a family meetin' without you or anything. Jesse made me help Daisy with dinner last night, and she kinda let slip how she was feeling. It wasn't on purpose…"

Bo sighed. "I just don't like it when y'all don't trust me enough to tell me what's goin' on. I got a right to know, too."

"I promise, Bo, no one was keepin' anything from you. You know how it is right now. We just ain't got as much money as we used to, is all. But we'll be all right, once we get through this spring and into the summer," Luke vowed. "We just need one good year and we can get back on our feet."

"But, Luke, that's what I'm talkin' about. I didn't really know we wasn't on our feet right now. I mean, I knew we needed this crop, but I didn't know we was already in trouble."

"It's gonna be okay, Bo…"

"See, this is what I mean! Stop tellin' me it's gonna be okay, and tell me the truth!"

A hundred memories of the younger boy in childhood flashed through Luke's mind: three-year-old Bo yelling at his cousin of nearly eight for not allowing him to hold a sparkler on Independence Day; a few years later when the blonde raged at him for not having told him the truth about Santa Claus; and then again as a young teen when then younger boy wanted to know about girls, and Luke stopped short of telling him everything, how that Duke temper had flared. The worst, however, was when Luke joined the Marines without consulting Bo first. That had hurt his younger cousin more than anything, and Luke still wasn't sure whether Bo had forgiven him for that.

"Bo! Slow down!" Luke came back to himself just in time to realize that while he was reminiscing, the teen was getting angrier, and as a result, driving ever more wildly.

For his part, the younger man wasn't thrilled with being ordered around just now. Here he was, trying to get Luke to take him seriously, and instead his older cousin was telling him what to do. However, even as Luke cautioned him, Bo himself realized he was going too fast for the turn ahead. He slammed on the brakes, and the truck slid out of control. Both boys ducked, preparing for impact, and were surprised when there was no crash, no shattering glass or bending metal. They looked up to see that Bo had somehow managed to keep the truck upright and, for that matter, on the road.

"Bo…" Luke began to scold, but seeing the abject misery on the boy's face, he didn't have the heart. "Let's switch."

The blonde nodded, mutely, and got out of the truck. As they crossed at the hood, Bo was surprised when Luke stopped him and placed both hands on his shoulders.

"I wasn't tryin' to keep anything from you, cousin. I figured you knew, but I guess you're right, and Jesse's told me more than he's told you. We've got to get through this season, Bo, then we _will_ be all right. Okay?"

"Yeah," Bo said, still looking down.

"Bo?"

"I'm sorry, Luke," the younger boy muttered.

"It's okay, Bo, I know you just got goin' too fast. I've done that, too."

"Right," Bo answered, accepting the hug that was offered him. What Luke mentioned wasn't all that he was sorry for, but he'd take the forgiveness he could get. And, for a moment, while his older cousin held onto him, he felt better.

Somewhat later, when the hay had been dropped off and the few dollars that the family earned from such deliveries was collected, the boys headed into town to turn that meager cash into more beans and rice for Daisy to whip into yet another masterpiece. Luke was surprised at how easy it was to get Bo to go over to Rhuebottom's to do the shopping while he went to talk to Cooter, but the older boy wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Meet you back here in a half hour," the Luke instructed, leaving the truck closer to the store than the garage. He might have gotten his cousin to do the less pleasant task, but that didn't mean Bo should have to carry the supplies further than was necessary.

"Right, see you then," Bo answered, still quieter than Luke liked to see him. Vowing to keep the younger boy more in the loop of things, Luke jogged to where he could see Cooter joking with a customer. With a thump on the other man's fender, Cooter waved goodbye to one friend while greeting another.

"Hey, Lukas, what's up old buddy?"

"Cooter! We're gettin' close now. Me and Bo are almost done with that engine. You got any thoughts on the body we can put it into?"

"Naw, buddyroe, I ain't seen your dream car yet, not here or in the junkyard. But you know I'm watchin' for ya." Cooter was nearly as excited about the engine as the Dukes were. He'd had some part in building it, though not much. He didn't need to; those boys were talented mechanics, with Luke having learned even more by maintaining military vehicles. Bo was no slouch, but it was clear to Cooter that in the Duke family, Luke was the builder and Bo the driver. Each was capable at the other's specialty, but they operated best when they each played to their own strengths.

"Well you keep lookin', Cooter. Me and Bo are gonna need that car to win us some races and bring in a little money, you know?"

"Yeah, I know, but don't forget, that chassis is gonna cost something, too. You got anything to buy it with?"

"Not really, buddy, so keep an eye on the junk yard, will ya?"

"You got it."

* * *

"Hey, Bo!" 

"Hey, Robby, long time so see, man! Where you been?" Between the little bit of release he'd gotten with Luke and seeing his old football chum at Rhuebottom's, Bo was feeling a whole lot better than he had been.

"Oh, you know, around. Workin' at the mill mostly. And Katie Jane and me are engaged."

Bo tried to hide his surprise. Robby was no older than him at barely nineteen now. It seemed impossible that someone his age would get married. "Wow, congratulations, buddy!" Bo said, walloping the other boy on the back. Robby flinched, something Bo had never seen him do before, even when a giant defensive end was charging straight for him.

"Bo, it ain't really a choice, I mean, well, we got to get married."

"Oh, man…"

"I mean, I do love her and all, but I wouldn't be doin' this now if we didn't have to."

"Right," Bo said, unable to think of any other words.

"Especially right now, with the mill laying us all off by the end of the summer."

"What do you mean, the mill's layin' y'all off?"

"Well, they ain't sayin' this much, but it looks like they're gonna close up come July. What terrible timing, huh?"

"Oh, Robby, I'm sorry, man." Bo was not only concerned for his friend; he was scared for his own family. The cotton they were growing was to sell to that very mill for processing. "What're ya gonna do?"

"Well, I ain't gonna wait for the mill to close on me, that's for dang sure. I've got a plan, but I'm gonna need Katie Jane to agree to get married right away, first. Then I'm gonna take her to Kentucky."

"Kentucky! Why?" Bo hadn't ever been to that particular state, but he wasn't in a hurry to go there, either. It wasn't that he had anything against the place, but when people talked about moving away, it was usually to places that were a little more exotic, like California or Florida. Of course, it was usually just talk. It seemed that Robby was a little more serious than most on this particular subject.

"They're hiring in the coal mines there. It don't pay a ton, but it's more than nothing. And there's housing, you know, it ain't the best, but me and Katie Jane can live there for now. It's just until we get on our feet again, or 'til they re-open the mill…" Robby didn't sound hopeful, however.

Despite his worries about his own family, Bo had to admit to himself that his friend was in even more of a bind. "Anything I can do for you, buddy?"

Robby began to shake his head, then his green eyes lit up. "Yeah, actually. If Katie Jane will do the Justice of the Peace thing with me, would you be my best man?"

"Uh, sure, Robby, whatever you need, you got it." Bo managed a smile for his friend. It wasn't that he didn't want to be the other boy's best man, it was just what it meant that Robby was asking him. He must be planning to do this without telling his family first, because Robby was one of three boys, and Bo would have thought for sure that his older brother Ken would have been his first choice to stand next to him at his wedding.

His friend gave a small, lopsided grin. "Thanks, Bo. You better get a move on. Looks like Luke's waitin' for you." With his hands full of potatoes and onions, Robby had to use his shoulder to point.

"Right, thanks Rob. And you just let me know where and when, okay?"

"You got it. Thanks again, Bo, for… everything."

"You bet," Bo said as he hurried to the front of the store, both to try to keep Luke from having to wait too long, and to escape the conversation that had upset him in more ways than one.


	3. Leave Me Be

_Hi all! Thanks to everyone who has read the first two chapters, and special thanks to those who have reviewed. We all live very busy lives, and so I particularly appreciate those who take the time to comment._

_I feel compelled to warn you up front that this story is a little more serious than the others I've posted. Some of the things I'll say here are from research that I have done, and some of the things that will happen won't be exactly pleasant._

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes or any of the characters from the series, nor the settings for this story. Although it contains some real events, it does not involve any real people, either living or dead. _

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Chapter 3 – Leave Me Be

Daisy approached mealtime with a bit of trepidation. She knew Bo would never hurt any of them on purpose, but that didn't mean it had been easy to prepare tonight's dinner knowing that it contained essentially the same ingredients as the night before, just combined in a different way. The teenager came to the table contrite, though, and the meal started out as a quiet one. If Daisy could have frozen time right then and avoided what would happen over the next half hour, she would have.

The dinner conversation was meager and centered around what everyone had done that day. Neither Luke nor Bo mentioned the near-accident they'd had, of course. It was not in their nature to admit to a mistake that one of them had made, especially when it would only lead to them getting a lecture about something that hadn't actually happened.

Finally, Bo brought up the topic of the chance meeting with his friend, Robby. For now he left out the part about Robby's upcoming wedding, feeling like he didn't have the other teen's permission to share that news just yet.

"He's gonna leave Hazzard," Bo said of his friend, trying to ease into the truly bad news he was going to impart.

"How come?" Luke asked, not having fully swallowed what he was eating. The boys had been taught their table manners, but only used as many of them as necessary to stay in their uncle's good graces. Considering the look he received from the head of the table, Luke was pushing it just now.

Bo was careful not to make the same mistake, swallowing completely and even sipping at his milk before speaking again.

"Well, he's gonna lose his job." The blonde realized he'd put it off as long as he could and that there was no getting around what was coming next. "They're layin' everyone off at the mill this summer. He thinks they're gonna close it."

"What?" Jesse answered, his own mouth somewhat full, but unable to hold back. Luke and Daisy didn't speak, but their eyes indicated that they'd thought Bo's words through to the obvious conclusion. The cotton they'd been growing no longer had a buyer.

"That's what he said. He's got a plan, though. He's goin' to Kentucky."

Daisy, who'd been only a year ahead of Bo in school, also knew Robby and had dated his brother, Ken, for a short time. "Why would he want to do that? They ain't got any family there."

"No, they ain't, but he can get work there, in the coal mines."

"Oh," Daisy answered, then turned the conversation back to the real problem. "What are we gonna do if the mill closes?"

While Bo's older cousins alternately discussed whether the mill really would close and what their options would be if it did, neither of them noticed the unusual quietness of the other two members of the family.

Having made up his mind that the time was now or never, Bo steeled himself.

"I'm thinkin' about goin' with Robby," Bo said, quietly.

The kitchen got that much noisier as his cousins weighed in with their protests, but discussion trickled to a stop as each of the younger Dukes noticed their uncle's silent presence at the end of the table. The older man's eyes were hooded and unreadable at first, then he closed them and took a deep breath.

"You ain't goin', and you definitely ain't workin' in them mines," he said, in a quiet voice that left little room for disagreement.

Bo, always one to take advantage of any wiggle room that he could find, tried to argue his point all the same. "But Jesse, think about it. We ain't got no income right now, an' without the mill, we ain't got one comin', neither. This way, I can earn some money and send it home until we figure out what to plant for next year…"

"No." The patriarch's answer sounded very final, though Bo wasn't done making his stand just yet.

"But, Jesse, it's a way to keep the farm!"

"Bo," Luke interjected, with the intent of saving his cousin from Jesse's wrath, "You don't want to go to Kentucky. It's really hard to be so far away from your family for a long time. Maybe if I went; I mean, I've gone away before, I know how to get through it…"

"Ain't neither of you goin' to Kentucky, and you can just forget all about coal mines!"

"Yes, sir," Luke answered.

Bo stood up. "I got chores to do."

"Bo!" Daisy couldn't stand to see all that was transpiring, and she was very concerned about the uncharacteristic lack of respect that her younger cousin was currently showing their guardian. He was likely to get himself whipped, and the female Duke always hated when either of her cousins took a beating, even if they deserved it.

Jesse just waved his hand in the air. "You're excused."

The rest of the family sat in silence for a moment. Luke placed a tentative hand on his uncle's forearm.

"I'll talk to him, Jesse," he offered.

The white haired man nodded and said, "You're excused too, Luke."

* * *

The older Duke boy could hear his cousin before he saw him; not surprisingly, he was chopping wood. It was predictable, really. When the blonde was angry, he'd seek out a physical activity that allowed him to let off some steam. 

Luke just watched Bo for a little while, letting him split a few logs down to splinters. Sometimes Luke was surprised by the way his once much smaller cousin had grown. Sure, he was taller than Luke now, and most of the time that didn't catch the older cousin off-guard anymore. But he'd also filled out and become much more muscular than he once was. The way he was making mincemeat out of those logs left Luke with no doubt that the younger boy would be a formidable foe if he struck out like he used to when he was younger; as a child, Bo frequently took a swing at someone when he became angry. Their uncle had tamed them both considerably with regard to that, and they knew, as well as they knew their own names, that fighting one another in seriousness was not acceptable. Luke was grateful for that policy, as he suddenly realized that the two of them were capable of hurting one another now in a way they weren't back when they were kids.

"Hey, Bo," he tried, as gently as he could.

"Luke," Bo acknowledged neutrally.

"Listen, I know you was just tryin' to help and all, but that ain't the way."

"What exactly is the way, then? To sit here and watch all that cotton grow, an' then pick it so we can -- what? Look at it? We ain't got no one to sell it to, Luke. An' I don't see you comin' up with no great plans for how we're gonna keep payin' the mortgage."

"Now, Bo, to be fair, you ain't gave anybody time to think things through yet. We'll come up with somethin', you know that."

"No, Luke, I don't know it. I know I came up with a way to keep things going for maybe another year and a half while we till and plant and grow and harvest. That's what we need, Luke, eighteen months. An' I could buy us that time, if Jesse'd let me." Bo stopped his chopping and swiped his forearm across his forehead and eyes. It was meant to look as though he was wiping away sweat, but Luke knew his cousin well enough to realize that the offending moisture was more than perspiration.

"Bo, we'll find another way. Jesse needs you here."

The younger man whirled on him, surprising Luke with the anger and frustration in his eyes.

"An' he don't need you? Why did you offer to go instead?"

"Because… I don't know much about mining, but I do know it's rough and it's dangerous. I know men get hurt and killed in the mines, an' I know it's a very tough thing to be a miner." Luke was starting to lose his own patience. He couldn't understand why his cousin should be so angry at him for offering to sacrifice himself so that Bo wouldn't have to take such a grueling job.

"An' you don't think I'm tough enough?"

"Aw, Bo, it ain't that…" Luke was suddenly at a loss for words. While Bo hadn't exactly hit the nail on the head, he'd come close. The older boy tried to gather his thoughts enough to make sense. Bo didn't give him time.

"You think 'cause you're older, you can handle it better. You think 'cause you're a Marine, you're the only one who can help around here. Well that ain't so!"

"Now, Bo, I never said it was… all I'm tryin' to say is, there's another way. You gotta believe, and give us time to figure it out."

"We ain't got time. An' all that stuff about believing we'll find a better way – where was that logic when you was runnin' off to join the Marines? I remember tryin' to tell you back then that there was a better way."

"That was different, Bo…" It really was different, and Luke knew that if he wasn't so angry, Bo would realize that too. If anything, he'd gone_ because_ he wasn't really needed at the farm then. The more lucrative 'shine business could be run without him, and while much of his pay was sent home, it was mostly supplementary to what the family already earned. His reasoning behind signing up for the service was complicated, and he'd never really expressed all of it to anyone, not even Bo. But they both knew it wasn't to try to save the farm from bankruptcy or anything of the sort.

"Lukas! Just leave me be."

Surprised, the older boy nodded and walked away. Bo was known to use Luke's full given name from time to time, but never in that tone of voice. Only his substitute parents had ever done that, and then only if Luke had done something that particularly let them down. Knowing it would disappoint both his departed aunt and his surviving uncle if he gave in to his own annoyance with his younger cousin right now, Luke decided to let things lie for the time being.

* * *

The next few days were awkward for everyone. Jesse was not sure how to get through to his youngest. He'd tried to talk to the boy, but Bo had politely asked to be left alone for now. His uncle understood a wounded pride required time to heal, and tried to give Bo the space he felt his nephew would need in order to regain his emotional balance. The younger of his boys usually came around quickly enough. 

Luke was a little more direct in his approach to his cousin. If there was one thing he'd always admired in Bo, it was his way of seeing the best in everything. The blonde was far more upbeat than Luke himself, and was unknowingly the source of much of his older cousin's fun-loving side. Without Bo's influence, the older boy frequently indulged in the more pessimistic aspects of his own personality.

Every approach he made, however, whether just to joke or to try to discuss the subject that had driven the wedge between them, met with similar results to those that Jesse was getting. Bo was cordial to his cousin, but requested not to talk about anything much. When, in total frustration, Luke had grabbed hold of Bo's shoulders and looked him in the eyes, asking to resolve things between them, the younger boy had responded quietly.

"Please, Luke. Stop. I don't wanna talk about it now." Luke could never resist an earnest request from his cousin, so he let it slide for the moment, vowing to get to the bottom of things within the week. In the meantime, he and Bo kept to a pretty simple schedule of chores and working on that engine. Though the older cousin was glad that at least Bo still seemed interested in seeing their project through, there was little joy in it. On the day that they finally completed the thing which had consumed them for the last seven months, the celebration consisted of a simple handshake. Luke was starting to wonder whether they even should have bothered, considering how little happiness the "dream car" was bringing them right now.

* * *

Bo struggled a lot during the days between the fight with his family and Robby's upcoming wedding. He had always been open with them all, especially Luke, but if his former schoolmate wasn't ready to tell anyone about his nuptial plans, then Bo wouldn't either. Besides, he was still considerably upset by the way his kin had acted towards him before, during and even since the blow up. 

Bo and Robby talked fairly frequently during the week, and amongst other things, had planned to meet on Friday at the county courthouse, so that Robby and Katie Jane could stand before old Judge Druten. Bo had wanted to treat his friend to some of the usual pre-wedding traditions, such as a bachelor party, but the absence of money in addition to the required secrecy made such luxuries impossible. At Robby's request, it would be a simple wedding followed by a "honeymoon" in Kentucky, as he and his bride would leave town on the heels of the ceremony.

But operating without his scheming cousin did pose a bit of a challenge for the youngest Duke, and because of that, he enlisted Cooter's help. Somewhat older than even Luke, the mechanic had long ago befriended the Duke boys all the same. The tiny school system of Hazzard ensured that age was not a barrier to friendships, with its universal lunch and recess times. Those who lived in town could go home to eat, but the more rural kids stayed behind, eating and playing together before everyone returned to class an hour later. Cooter and Luke had met on the playground years before and become fast friends. This surprised no one, as Dukes and Davenports had a long history of enjoying each other's company. And in no time at all, Cooter was a friend to Daisy and Bo as well.

Despite his chronological age, however, Cooter was arguably less mature than even the youngest of the Duke clan. Habitually filthy, the cheerful young man spent more time at the Boar's Nest than his younger friends, and even when he was working he could frequently be found hosting an impromptu party in the garage, with any of the Hazzard boys that could free up a few hours joining him for beer and debates about almost anything motorized.

Counting on Cooter's warped sense of what was and was not important, Bo conscripted him to help him get away from the farm on the day of Robby's wedding. Cooter knew none of Bo's plans, only that the blonde needed a ride into town. He was content enough to provide one, though he was mildly surprised that Bo needed it. He knew, however, that until a chassis could be found for the boys' engine, the Dukes were a little shy of working vehicles. Not wanting to put his friend on the spot by asking awkward questions, Cooter simply agreed to help out. In return, Bo had offered to work with Cooter for a few hours in the garage, before running off to his own errands, and while the mechanic didn't really need him, Cooter would enjoy some of the normally upbeat youngster's company. This laid-back attitude was typical of the man they'd long since nicknamed Crazy-C, but it would ultimately come to frustrate rest of the Duke family to no end.


	4. Singing Solos

_Hey everyone - thanks for reading! And special thanks to those who have been reviewing. And to those who just came off a long weekend - I'm jealous!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Dukes or any of the characters from the series, nor the settings for this story. Although real events are incorporated, none of the characters are based on real people, either living or dead._

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Chapter 4 – Singing Solos

Fence building was never Luke's favorite activity to begin with, but it was at least tolerable when done in pairs. He and his cousin had perfected the art of teamwork as teens. Luke would wield the post-hole digger while Bo followed, filling the gaps with four-by-fours that would last ten years or so before they needed replacing. That might have been a comfort to the boys; ten years before they'd have to do this again. Unfortunately there were literally thousands of such posts around the expansive Duke property, so there was always one section or another that was need of replacement. Not to mention the new fences that they'd had to build since the Dukes had given up 'shine making and changed their farming practices. Then there were all the neighbors needing enclosures of one kind or another, and Jesse was only too willing to lend his boys out.

But it wasn't just the posts. After that came the barbed wire, sharp enough to cut through work gloves if you grabbed it the wrong way. And the long strands rarely chose to come off the roll tidily. No, they would spring off and catch hold of some part of you. If you were lucky it was just your jeans, but more often than not, some portion of flesh was torn away as well.

Still it was during those long afternoons of post-hole digging and wire stringing that the boys had discovered harmony, in the traditional sense. Both of them had good pitch, and since they had started singing together before Bo's voice changed, it was generally Luke singing baritone to Bo's tenor. Even now that Bo's voice had matured and deepened into its own baritone range, the boys usually chose to continue the habits of having the younger boy sing the high harmonies.

Today Luke found himself crooning his usual melody and imagining Bo's counterpart, because his cousin had cleverly managed to get out of fence duty. Luke had been annoyed, though not enough to verbalize a complaint, when Bo had asked Jesse whether he could help Cooter in town that afternoon. According to the blonde, there was something of a backlog in the garage, and their grimy friend needed an extra pair of hands. Why the mechanic would request Bo's help over his own, Luke didn't know, especially since the retired Marine had more experience in things mechanical. Whatever the reason, Bo had secured permission, and neither looking at nor speaking to his older cousin, the boy had headed off to the room they shared in order to gather the few things that he'd need while in town. Luke was already out in the pasture digging holes and singing solos before their friend had arrived to take his lazy cousin away.

Now that he was well beyond hungry and had succeeded in completing only half a job by dinnertime, Luke was irritated enough that he planned a discussion with that little cousin of his about who, exactly, would be stringing the wire tomorrow, and who would be sitting back and "supervising." As he stalked back towards the old farmhouse, he planned his arguments, as well as his responses to Bo's counterarguments. This was where he usually won these disagreements with his cousin – he always deliberated at least two steps in advance, while Bo preferred to wing it. Sometimes the blonde's technique actually worked to his favor, but more often than not, Luke got his way.

"Where's Bo?" Luke asked as he entered the kitchen, skipping the greeting he'd normally give his female cousin, who stood at the sink rinsing beans. Luke winced just slightly at the thought of more legumes.

"I ain't seen him come back yet. And don't you be makin' those faces, Luke Duke!"

"Sorry," Luke mumbled, passing quickly through the kitchen towards the living room, where his uncle sat reading the paper.

"He ain't back yet," Jesse announced before Luke could even ask. Now the oldest cousin was doubly frustrated. He'd been looking forward to this little chat with Bo.

"I'm gonna call Cooter."

"No you ain't. Your cousin knows enough to get home for dinner, which is in fifteen minutes. Why don't you go take a quick shower first?" his uncle suggested. Luke understood this to be an attempt to placate him somewhat, in hopes that easing his sore muscles in the warm water would take some of the vim and vinegar out of him. Well, he'd have himself a relaxing shower all right, but he'd come out fighting all the same, he promised himself.

When Luke emerged some ten minutes later, shaking the water from his dark curls, there was still no Bo. The older boy smirked, thinking that Jesse would give his cousin what-for first, so that by the time Luke got to him he'd have no fight left in him.

The family sat down to dinner, and as Luke watched his kin, his perspective changed. Jesse's face was getting redder by the minute while Daisy's was becoming increasingly pale. He knew they were both worried about his younger cousin, but they had different ways of expressing it. The brunette wanted nothing more than to call their mechanic friend and get Bo home as quickly as possible, but he knew that Jesse would not allow it; not until dinner was over. Both boys had done their share of missing meals when they were younger, and they had always been quite sorry when they'd finally gotten home to their uncle's wrath. Luke thought they'd both learned not to do that anymore, but it seemed he'd miscalculated when it came to his cousin and that crazy mechanic. If there was ever anyone that would make you lose track of time, it was Cooter.

By the end of dinner, Jesse was more than willing to let Luke track his youngest charge down. For his own part, the oldest cousin was pretty much done with being annoyed and amused by Bo's absence and had become somewhat concerned. Even Cooter would have wanted to stop for dinner, he thought, and that should have prompted Bo to call and at least start apologizing.

Luke's concerns were not in the least alleviated when the garage telephone rang several times without answer. Opting for the more reliable piece of equipment, at least as far as Hazzard was concerned, the brunette called for his cousin on the CB, and, when that failed, tried for Cooter.

"This is Crazy Cooter comin' at ya, Lukas Dukas, you got the dime, I got the time, ain't in no hurry, cause I got no worries. What can I do for ya?"

Not for the first time, Luke wished there was a way to interrupt someone on the CB, but there just wasn't. When Cooter was on a roll, you had to let him run out of steam before you could respond.

"Cooter, knock it off now. When you bringin' Bo home? Jesse's worried half to death."

Usually Cooter had an immediate comeback, no matter what you said to him. He loved word games, and considered the CB airwaves his own personal radio station, where he was the master disc jockey. This time, however, there was a pause before Cooter's hesitant voice came back at Luke.

"Uh, buddyroe, I ain't seen your cousin for hours now. He left here and headed over to the courthouse somewhere's around two, I think."

"Where'd he go after that?"

"I don't know, Luke, I didn't see him again. Things got kinda busy in the garage, and I wasn't lookin' out for him or nothin'…"

"What do you mean you wasn't lookin' out for him? You brought him into town and you didn't keep an eye on him?" Luke knew he was being unreasonable, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. Suddenly, he had a slightly better understanding of where some of Jesse's gruffness came from.

"Listen, buddy, he's a big boy now. He asked for a ride into town, and I gave him one. He said he didn't need a ride back. I figured you was pickin' him up." Cooter's voice was sympathetic, even if his words were not particularly what Luke wanted to hear.

"He asked for a ride… you didn't ask him to come help you at the garage?"

"Well, he helped me, yeah, but it was in exchange for the ride, at least that was my understandin'…"

"Okay, thanks, Cooter. Do me a favor, keep an eye out, and if you see that little cousin of mine, call me, you hear? I'm goin' lookin' for him, but I'll stay tuned."

"10-4, Lukas. Sorry I didn't have better news."

* * *

After a consultation with Jesse, Luke headed off in the yellow Plymouth towards town, and Jesse took his pickup to talk to neighbors and friends who might have seen the erstwhile blonde. 

It was obvious to the older cousin that the place to start was with Rosco Coltrane, the once competent Hazzard County sheriff. It wasn't that Luke thought the man would actually be helpful with regard to searching for the missing Duke, and the rational part of him knew that until Bo had been gone for twenty-four hours it wasn't even Rosco's job to look for him. However, the last reliable sighting of his cousin had involved the county courthouse, and Luke knew his search should begin there.

Rosco had never really been a friend to the Dukes, but he hadn't had a habit of singling them out in particular, not until the middle of last summer. While the Duke family's primary source of income, specifically the sale of homemade alcohol products, had never been exactly legal, it had been largely overlooked for the first 150 years that the family did it. Since prohibition had come and gone, the federal lawmakers had been more diligent about trying to put an end to the trade in Hazzard. However, the economy of the area relied upon liquor sales, so while the United States government was trying to put moonshiners out of business, the local law could frequently be found looking the other way.

While the Hazzard County Sheriff had not exactly gone out of his way to interrupt the flow of moonshine through his town, he'd made the occasional bust as it supported his mission of keeping peace within Hazzard. There were times, also, when he'd sought out the unscrupulous 'shine makers; those who used lye to improve the bead, or whose batches contained unsafe amounts of methanol. While the lawman didn't have any real quarrels with the illegal liquor trade itself, he didn't need his constituents blinding one another, either.

However, since the previous year's election, in which Hazzardites decided to save a few tax dollars by ceasing to fund the sheriff's pension, Rosco hadn't been himself. In fact, if anything, he had gone from being Rosco Coltrane, Hazzard County Sheriff, to being just plain Rosco, toadie and sycophant. To earn back the cash he'd need to retire some day, the lawman had sold his soul to the Hazzard County Commissioner, Boss Jefferson Davis Hogg. And this same Boss Hogg was not exactly known for his love of Dukes. He and Jesse had not been on the same side of anything since before Bo and Luke were even born, and by now the animosity was something you could almost smell on both men's skins.

Although it sounded like Bo had walked into the county building of his own accord, Luke would not be in the least surprised if Rosco and the stocky man in white for whom he worked had locked Bo in a cell for some imagined infraction. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more Luke was convinced that his cousin was an unwitting guest of the county, and hadn't even been allowed his basic right to one phone call. When he got to the courthouse, the dark haired Duke boy didn't bother with manners; he just slammed his way into the main squad room.

"Hi, Luke!" Enos Strate, the sheriff's deputy and lifetime friend of the Duke boys greeted him.

Looking up from the coffee mug he held between his fingers, Rosco caught sight of the look in Luke's sharp blue eyes as he ignored Enos and stalked towards the sheriff.

"Gyu," he said.

"All right, where's Bo?"

"Gijit!" Rosco offered, by way of explanation.

"I ain't seen him, Luke. Why, is he missing?" Enos asked. The look on his friend's face as he whirled around to confront the mild and earnest deputy was enough to startle Enos.

"Yeah, he's missing, Enos, and he was last seen coming in here, so where is he?" Luke spun back to glower at Rosco.

"Gyu." Rosco struggled to find some useful words. "Uh, Luke, I ain't seen him since the Haines boy's wedding. I swear!" This last part was added just as Luke moved forward towards the lawman.

"Haines. Ken Haines got married?"

"No, Luke," Enos answered. "It was Robby Haines, got married to Katie Jane Johnson just this afternoon! I wasn't here, but the sheriff told me all about it, seein' as he was one of the witnesses."

"That's right, I was one of the witnesses," the sheriff asserted, "and your no good cousin, Bo, was the other one, and also the best man. And I ain't seen him since he rode off with the bride and groom."

"Rode off with the… why would he do that? He ain't goin' on their honeymoon with them, is he?"

"How would I know?" the sheriff answered, totally irritated by now. It was uncomfortable enough, having Luke Duke here in his sanctuary, the squad room. Rosco didn't want to talk to him any longer than he had to.

"Or is he…" Luke was clearly talking to himself, as he whirled and sprinted out of the police station before Enos could even say goodbye to him.

Rosco, however, gave his version of a send-off, "You just git now, Luke Duke. Khee! He got, didn't he Enos?"

Mystified at his friend's behavior, the deputy quietly responded, "Yeah, he did."


	5. They Don't Come Back

_Hi all – thanks for reading, and as always, special thanks to those who take the time to review. Your words are always appreciated, maybe never more than this week, as I struggle with the very end of this thing._

_Elenhin, ever attentive to Duke detail, tells me that there was a Katie Johnson in the Dukes movie, which I never saw. The Katie Jane Johnson in this story is most certainly not from the movie, and gets her name from my cousin's kid. The character has absolutely nothing to do with my cousin's daughter, though. I just like to be sure the names that I choose are realistic, and you can't get more real than my cousins are!_

_On another note (and I warned you on Chapter 1 that there would be plenty of these) the terms of the boys' probation are one of those things that the original writers were not consistent about. Early on, I'm not sure they had boundary restrictions, at least not until Season 2. From there, some episodes had them locked in the state and others in the county. I prefer the state scenario, so that's the one I chose. And in some episodes, Hazzard seems to border on another state, whereas other times it appears to be some distance from any other states. For purposes of this story, I chose to make Hazzard County border on Tennessee. I'm sure this will bother some, who imagine things another way. I apologize for that and just ask that you work with me on this. Thanks._

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Chapter 5 – They Don't Come Back

"Uncle Jesse, you got your ears on?" Luke inquired over the CB, having sprinted back to the yellow Plymouth immediately following his discussion with the Hazzard lawmen.

"This is Shepherd," the older man answered, using the more formal radio protocol that his nephews had a habit of forgetting. "You got news for me, Lost Sheep?"

"10-4. Are you anywhere near the Haines farm?" Luke was torn, wanting to know where Bo was, but not ready to find out what he already suspected.

"Not too far. Why, is your cousin there?"

"I don't think so, but he was last seen with Robby. I'll meet you there."

Suddenly making some connections of his own, Jesse spun his pickup around in a move worthy of his younger years, before addressing his older nephew again. "I'm on my way. And those boys had better be there!"

Luke sighed. He wished he believed his uncle could be right about that, but this time he was pretty sure his blonde cousin would let them both down. "I'm coming, too, Uncle Jesse," he said, flooring the Plymouth.

* * *

By the time Luke got there, it was clear that things were not going at all well. The Dukes and the Haines family had never been particularly close to one another, but neither had they ever feuded. Looking at the patriarchs of both families now, Luke thought perhaps a new community rift might be forming right before his very eyes. 

Luke wanted nothing more than to jump into the middle of things, but Ken Haines pulled him aside before he could get to where the gray haired men stood arguing.

"What's going on here, Luke?" Ken was a year younger than the oldest Duke cousin, and they didn't know each other all that well, but Luke sensed that they were on the same side of what was developing here on the Haines' front porch.

"All I know for sure is that Bo's missing and that he was last seen with Robby…" Luke trailed off, realizing that he had information about the youngest Haines boy that his own family probably did not yet know. Judging from the raised voices of the men on the porch, things were already heated enough, and he didn't want to make it any worse. He'd have to trust that Ken could keep a cool head and help him with the generation that had raised them both.

"And?" Ken asked, noticing Luke's hesitation.

"Listen, Ken, Bo was a witness to Robby's wedding. Apparently he and Katie Jane Johnson got married this afternoon."

Luke watched Ken's eyes close, as the obvious conclusions dawned on him. The Haines boys were good enough kids. Not as attractive as Bo and Luke, they were all built sturdily just the same, and were good football players. This alone made them popular with the girls, but they were fairly serious boys. Unlike the Dukes, the Haines' were known to date only one girl at a time, and usually they'd stay in a relationship for awhile, at least far longer than either of the Duke boys had. In fact, when Daisy had gone out with Ken, it had been one of the few times that Luke had known about her dating and hadn't wanted to get immediate leave from the Marines to come home and pound the boy into the ground. With Ken, Luke at least knew that Daisy would be well treated.

It seemed likely that Robby and Katie Jane had become too intimate for their own good, but everyone knew they'd been together for more than a year, so it wasn't really all that surprising. Luke figured that they would have married eventually anyway, though not so young or so suddenly.

The older Haines boy opened and fixed his brown eyes on Luke. "And they went to Kentucky?"

Luke sighed, realizing that of course, his uncle had come barging up to the Haines' home, talking about Kentucky and the mines, as if this family knew what Robby was planning, and as if they should have stopped him.

"That's what Bo told us. But we never knew about Robby and Katie Jane, not that they was gettin' married or nothin'. I mean everyone knew they were together, and I think he woulda married her anyways, Ken… I'm sorry," Luke added, almost as an afterthought. The Haines boy had even more reason to be upset than Luke himself, and since the oldest Duke cousin was half-crazy with his own worries, he could only imagine Ken's misery. "And we didn't know he hadn't told you about Kentucky, neither…"

The younger boy waved him off. "What now?" he asked, gesturing up at the altercation on the porch.

"I'll take Uncle Jesse, you take your father. They can't talk sense right now. We'll calm 'em down and I'll take Jesse home. We'll figure out what to do about Robby and Bo later."

The two former football players headed through the darkened yard towards the porch, where the argument was fizzling by now, anyway. It seemed the older men had come to a conclusion that was similar to their youngsters': they were both upset and angry with their own boys, but neither of the patriarchs was really to blame. Luke encountered little resistance from his uncle when he suggested they go home and try to talk this out, just the two of them. And Ken brought his own father inside, knowing that the man had only learned half of the story, and that which was still to be told would only make him feel worse.

* * *

Luke wished mightily that his little cousin had listened to him, but even more he wished the blonde had trusted him enough to talk this through. Though the older cousin had held himself together through the scene at the Haines' and in getting Jesse calm enough to drive himself home, Luke was genuinely miserable. In his mind he alternately grabbed his cousin by the shoulders and shook him for being so foolish, or held onto him to keep him here in Hazzard. Neither fantasy was helping him one bit though, as his cousin was out of reach, his location totally unknown. 

Which, to Luke, was obviously the beginning, middle and end of the problem. But Jesse seemed to have another whole set of concerns on his mind.

Over the year that he'd been back in Hazzard, the retired Marine had seen a lot of changes in his family. Some had occurred while he was away, and he was somewhat saddened by missing them: Bo growing to manhood, Daisy elected prom queen rather than town tomboy as he might have expected, even Jesse's now whitened hair was something Luke wished he had seen evolve. A lot more changes had occurred over the last year, though, both at home and in the town. Some had been amusing, like Enos becoming a lawman. Others were threatening, such as Rosco's obvious corruption. Then there were the ones that were just plain interesting, like Cooter's slow inheritance of the garage. But the most disturbing, now that Luke took the time to think about it, was how Jesse's demeanor had changed. His uncle still ruled the roost, but when his nephews weren't giving him cause to chastise them, he was much quieter, more likely to be found reading his paper on the sofa than walking the property of which he'd always been so proud. The older man worked as hard as ever, but when work was done, he sat more, visited less, and generally grew older.

Still, even in the past year, Jesse hadn't looked half as tired as he did right now. Luke would have to maintain his own calm that much longer, until he could get his uncle to a more peaceful state.

"He'll come back, Jesse. He won't stay long."

Luke believed every word of what he was saying, too. If he could have come home from Vietnam, he would have been back in Hazzard within the week. Family was too important to the Dukes for that not to happen. He hated that Bo would be gone even that long, but he had no doubt that the younger boy would be sleeping in the bed next to his within the next ten days, at most.

The older man just shook his head and closed his eyes. "They don't come back. Carleton didn't."

"Carleton…" Luke searched his mind, as the name was familiar, but he couldn't really place it. Eventually he remembered a theoretical Uncle Carleton, who'd died even before his and Bo's parents had, heck, well before Luke himself was even born. Sometimes he could forget that his uncle's generation had their own lives and loves. Carleton would have been another of Jesse's brothers, gone before his time. At one time this same house had been filled with seven boys, Jesse being by far the oldest. Luke found it hard to imagine, since he'd only known a few of the men from the previous generation. But Jesse must have taken care of them all, just as Luke had watched over Bo and Daisy. If his uncle's generation was anything like his own, Jesse must have loved them all like crazy. Funny, Luke had never realized that before.

"Uncle Carleton," Luke began, the honorific in combination with the given name sounding all wrong to him, "Went to Kentucky?"

The older man's dark eyes remained about three-quarters closed, focused on the age spots dotting the back his calloused and work-worn hands. "No, not that far, but it didn't matter."

Luke's patience should have been wearing thin, be something about his uncle's demeanor made him sit still and wait for the older man to say his piece.

"Carleton was just sixteen. He'd always been a very responsible sort of boy, but he was smart, too. He wanted to see the world. We didn't have school beyond the 8th grade back then, you know. Hazzard didn't have a high school. You kids was lucky…"

Luke nodded, finally understanding something his uncle had tried to tell the boys every time they'd gotten themselves suspended for skipping class or fighting in school.

"Anyway, there was only two ways out, workin' and the military. An' Carleton was too young to enlist. So he found him a job. In Sequatchie County, Tennessee, workin' the mines. It wasn't too far away, but in those days, even gettin' out of the state was a lot."

Luke stood to pour some coffee. The man who had raised him seemed to be gearing up for one of the longer stories that his kids had always teased him about telling. His oldest wasn't joking around now, though.

The minute the two of them had gotten home, Daisy was all over them with questions. When she'd heard what they knew, she'd wanted to quit her job right then and there to go looking for her younger cousin, but Luke had reminded her that Kentucky was a pretty good sized state with a lot of mines, and Jesse had added that her paycheck and tips were their sole income right now. So she had jumped into the Plymouth and headed off to work, saying she would call in with any news she could get about Bo from the Boar's Nest gossip. This left the two men home for the evening, which Luke would have preferred to use for planning strategy, but his uncle clearly needed to get something off his chest.

"We got letters from him, tellin' us something about that part of Tennessee, but he never really said anything about what it was like, workin' in the mines. We's missin' him somethin' fierce right from the beginnin', but we really started to get worried when the letters slowed down and didn't really say nothin' much at all."

Jesse paused to take the mug Luke handed him, then stared across at his nephew. Those boys of his could take his breath away sometimes, reminding him of the brothers he'd lost. Carleton might have been closer to Bo's blonde, but Luke had inherited those eyes, the ones passed down from Jesse's own mother. No one else in the family got them, just Carleton and Luke. Though Jesse forced himself not to dwell a lot on the past, sometimes catching sight of Luke's brilliant blue irises was enough to spin him right back to those days some thirty-five years earlier.

"There wasn't interstates then, you know. Everything was old winding roads across the mountains, and cars wasn't what they are now either. But I got permission to take the only car we did have and go check on Carleton, maybe a year after he'd gone. There was no phones where he was, and we didn't have one in the house here, either. We had to go down to the courthouse to use the only public phone there was…" Jesse had been about to remind Luke, again, about how lucky the younger generation was, but when he caught sight of Luke's serious posture, he knew he didn't have to.

"Anyway, Carleton didn't know I was comin'. I went into Dunlap lookin' for him, and the man workin' the General Store told me where I could wait for him to come on up the hill towards where all the miners lived." The older man looked into the blackness of the beverage in front of him, thinking of that day.

"I didn't even know him, Luke. They was all about the same, comin' out of there, covered in coal dust, their shoulders slumped, just barely draggin' themselves up that rise. Finally one of 'em looked at me a minute too long, and I recognized those bright blue eyes starin' out of that black-covered face. Carleton. He was glad to see me and sorry to see me, both. An' I guess I felt pretty much the same way.

"We went back to where he was stayin' which was just this little shack, really. An' he told me about the mines…"

It was as if Jesse's battery had run out. He stopped where he was, and there was no indication he planned to continue.

"What did he tell you, Uncle Jesse?" Luke prompted, concerned for the older man.

His uncle looked at him as though he was surprised to find Luke still sitting there. "You're goin' after Bo."

"What? Jesse, we're gonna have a hard enough time tryin' to keep up the farm without Bo. How could you possibly do it without either of us?"

"It don't matter."

"Yes, it does. How can I go after Bo without a car? We can't spare one…"

"You'll take Tilly."

Luke had forgotten about the old running car, the black matte Ford that he and Bo had been in the night they'd been busted for transporting moonshine. They'd racked it up pretty good that night, but even though he'd never planned to use it again, Jesse'd gotten it repaired, and kept it in top shape. Dukes looked after their cars, even if they weren't currently driving them.

"But… I'm on probation, I can't leave the state." Even Luke knew this was foolish, and he put up his hands to indicate that his uncle didn't have to rebuke him for that argument. Really, the only way to prove he'd been out of state would be if he did something illegal while outside of Georgia, leading to his arrest and a record check. If he behaved himself out there, no one would even know to ask whether he was allowed to be in Kentucky or any other state he might need to enter while searching for his missing cousin. Where things would get tricky would be if the Hazzard law found out he'd left and set a trap for him on the way back in. But they'd deal with that if they had to. And Luke knew Bo had counted on exactly the same logic, leaving the state the way he had.

"It ain't that I don't want to go after him Jesse, you know I do. I been wanting to track him down since the minute we figured where he'd gone. It's just… I don't know where to look, and I really think he'll come back on his own…"

"Ain't you been listening boy? They don't come back. Didn't you ever wonder why I wouldn't let no coal into this house, no matter how cold a winter we's havin' or how little firewood you boys had chopped?"

Luke said nothing; when his uncle's voice rose like this, it was best to let him run out of steam of his own accord.

"The coal minin' business – it ain't no place for your cousin. You're gonna go get him and bring him back. Luke, he won't listen to anyone but you. I'm just an old fool," he waved off Luke's denial even before it could be formulated, "at least to a teenager like your cousin. And Daisy's a girl, so Bo would just say she was bein' motherly. You, he'll listen to."

"He ain't listened… nor talked to me in days, Uncle Jesse."

"He will, you just keep tryin'. You're his best friend, an' he thinks of you as his brother…"

Luke's eyes dropped so that Jesse wouldn't be able to see how those words affected him.

"He'll listen to you."

"I'll try, Uncle Jesse."

"Thank you, Luke."

They sat in silence for a moment, sipping at the now rather cool coffee in their mugs.

"Jesse? What happened to Uncle Carleton?"

"Does it matter? I could tell you it was a cave in, and you'd never know any different. Or maybe I should say he lived long enough to suffer from black lung before he died?"

Luke didn't know what to make of the way his uncle was talking now. It was not like Jesse to tell anything but the direct truth. And then, with a sigh, he finally did.

"It was a month after I'd left him there. He wouldn't come home, no matter what, and I couldn't stay. I was betrothed to your Aunt Lavinia by then, and I had a life to get back to in Hazzard.

"He was caught in what's called a white damp. It's a build up of carbon monoxide. You don't even know you're in it until too late. You pass out and then you suffocate. He was one of thirty men in that part of the tunnel. Not a one of them survived.

"But the particulars don't matter. There's hundreds of ways to die down there. You find your cousin before he learns that the hard way, you hear?"

"Yes, sir," his oldest answered, and Jesse could tell the boy was serious.

_

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Author's note: I mean no harm to mining companies or those who have worked or continue to work in coal mines. This story contains some information that I learned using various methods of research. I admit to having only second-hand knowledge of the profession. And I took the parts of what I discovered that made for the best story, so obviously this is not a well-rounded portrayal. It is not intended to be taken as completely accurate, but simply as one point of view. _


	6. The Cows Have Been Home for Hours

_Hi all! Thanks for reading and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who have been reviewing. Your words have definitely made it possible to see the end at the light of this tunnel! Especially since you've seen beyond my words to my intetntions... you all are the best._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Dukes, or any of the main characters, nor the settings for this story. Although it incorporates acual historical events, it is not based on any real people, living or dead._

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Chapter 6 – The Cows Have Been Home for Hours

Luke knew he would have to leave under the cover of darkness. After all, if he was to take Tilly, he'd have to go when he wasn't likely to get stopped in a very obvious 'shine running car. Daylight would only beg the Hazzard law to catch and detain him, thus at least delaying, if not preventing, his trip out of the state. Both the patriarch and his oldest charge might have preferred for Luke to go that very night or early morning, but they agreed that there were a few things that needed to be done first.

The following afternoon, while Jesse packed Tilly with all that he thought his nephew would need for a prolonged road trip, Luke took the pickup into town. Cooter, not having been privy to the events of the evening before, was surprised, then guilty, to see only one Duke boy.

"Where's Bo?" he asked, with a great deal of trepidation.

Luke grabbed his friend's arm and led him into the privacy of the back of the garage. If there was one thing he'd have to impress upon the mechanic, it was stealth. Not that Cooter wasn't capable of that little skill, he simply tended to approach the world with his arms wide and mouth open.

"We think he's gone off to Kentucky, Cooter."

Though there was no mistaking the seriousness of Luke's tone, the mechanic thought this must really be a joke. There was no way one of the Duke boys would take off like that, especially this year, not when the family needed them both so much.

"Kentucky…" the mechanic had latched onto the name of the state, and he was unable to make his lips say anything more.

"Yeah, listen, I ain't got time to tell you all of it, but Uncle Jesse will later. The thing is, I'm goin' after him, and that means breakin' probation." Luke watched his friend's greasy face register the realization of what he was saying, as well as the recognition that what Luke was preparing to do, Bo had already done. "I'm gonna need your help, buddy."

"No problem, Luke, I'll take you across the state line tonight, if you want. I can't take you all the way to Kentucky, but I can get you into Tennessee. We'll leave right after I close…"

Luke stopped the man before he could continue making plans to help him in ways he did not need. He knew Cooter was feeling awfully guilty for having brought Bo into town yesterday, and before Luke was going to be able to enlist his assistance in a positive manner, he was going to have to relieve him of that burden.

"Now Cooter, it ain't your fault that Bo took off like that. And I don't need you to take me anywheres, but listen, there are a few things I will need you to do. One's gonna be fun, and the others are just plain gonna be hard."

"Anything for you, buddyroe."

Luke knew Cooter meant it, too. They'd bailed each other out of enough jams that neither even knew who owed the other one by now. He just hoped that his slightly wild friend could maintain his concentration long enough to do the hardest of the jobs that Luke was going to assign him.

* * *

It wasn't that Bo didn't enjoy Robby and Katie Jane's company on the drive. It was more that a road trip like this was something he'd always wanted to do with Luke. They never seemed to get a chance, what with Luke being gone in the military for three years, and then that awkwardness between them when he'd returned. Then, after last summer's failed 'shine run, there hadn't been money to keep enough cars on the road, not to mention all the work they'd had to do, plowing and tilling and planting… a useless crop. And, something Bo tried to put out of his mind the second it entered: they were forbidden from leaving the state, thanks to the probation they'd been given instead of a prison sentence. 

As wisps of the newlyweds' conversation hung in the air around him, Bo found he really wanted to stop thinking and join in, but there was too much going on inside him. He missed his home and his family, though he hadn't even been gone a full day. Maybe if he'd said a proper goodbye he'd feel better now, but no, that wasn't really it either. He was angry with Luke, peeved at all of them, really, but Luke in particular had gotten to him, frustrated and annoyed him. He had his reasons to be angry at his oldest cousin, and he was sure they were valid, so why did he wish the brunette was here right now?

Resolving to himself that he was just doing what was right, considering the way he'd blown the family business higher than a still full of undrained mash, Bo forcibly turned his thoughts away from a tangent that only seemed to cause him misery and confusion. He was, like it or not, a man on his way to a new life, and one that he would lead for as long as it took to get his family back on their feet. He hoped it would only be a year and a half, but he'd stay ten, if that was what his uncle and cousins needed to get the farm back into full operation, and keep the land that meant so much to them all. He knew he was disobeying a direct order from his uncle. He wasn't legally bound to the man anymore, though he loved him dearly. In fact, if anything, the decision to leave was an attempt to pay his uncle back for taking him in all those years ago.

Robby and Katie Jane had chosen the scenic route, since they didn't anticipate that the boys would secure work until Monday morning. The Haines boy had done a little research, but only as much as a couple of trips to the library in Capitol City would allow. He knew of some places that he'd read about in the few Kentucky newspapers that could be found on the racks in the far back corner of the library, a place one Bo Duke had never been. Their goal was Harlan County in the southeast corner of the Bluegrass State. For now, they were cruising through the Tennessee mountains, only a small section of which Bo had ever seen before. Back when they ran 'shine, the Duke family had a customer/distributor in the nearest corner of the state, a beautiful but rugged country. Looking out the window at his current surroundings as the car made its way north toward the Kentucky border, Bo thought there was something inherently unhealthy about the hills here. There seemed to be an absence of trees and wildlife, and in some obvious cases, there had been large landslides. These were not the green slopes of home, where he and Luke had hunted, hiked and played their whole lives.

Why couldn't he simply banish his oldest cousin from his mind?

* * *

Daisy was scheduled to work that night, and in order for Luke to get safely out of Hazzard, the three remaining family members had decided she should report to the Boar's Nest as usual. Though Daisy had been part of the planning process, she was still unhappy about the role she was stuck with. Her younger cousin was already gone, and the older one would be following tonight. She wanted nothing more than to go with Luke, find Bo, and drag him home so that they would be together. Instead, she'd be saying goodbye to her surrogate older brother hours before he actually left, and basically just staying out of the way through his escape. 

All the same, she helped Luke as he tuned Tilly, making sure the old Ford was in good enough shape for the trip ahead. What little money Luke would be taking with him would keep him in gas, and maybe a decent meal now and again. He'd be camping and most of the time he'd be cooking over the open fire, something he and Bo were quite practiced at from their 'shine running days. He could get by on very little money, and he'd have to. There just wasn't any extra cash for mechanical problems with the car, and Luke sure wanted to be getting the best gas mileage possible out of the old gas-guzzling tank. Fuel wasn't as cheap as it had been back when his uncle had retrofitted the runner.

"I thought Ken Haines was goin' with you," Daisy commented after noticing that only Luke's supplies seemed to be loaded into the car.

"Well, I thought he might, but he can't. His family needs him here to keep bringin' in money until they actually do lay him off from the mill. An' Robby took all his earnings out of the bank, I guess to take care of him and Katie Jane, so the family ain't got as much, all together, as they used to." Luke drew his semi-clean arm across his eyes, wiping away sweat. Would this early heat wave never end? "He'll do what he can from here, though. I think he really wishes he could go."

"He ain't the only one," Daisy whispered, but not quietly enough.

"I'll bring him back, sweetheart," Luke answered, sounding more confident than he felt. His female cousin simply nodded and handed him the wrench she knew he was about to ask for.

* * *

"This is Jesse Duke calling the Hazzard County Sheriff's Department; you all got your ears on?" 

"Ijit." Luke had to grin at the initial response to Jesse's broadcast. The right lawman had answered. "This is Rosco Coltrane! What's your problem, Jesse Duke, an' this better be serious or I'll write you a ticket for inappropriate use of the police band frequency!"

"Now Rosco, you just settle down. You know I ain't gonna call you unless I need you. It ain't like I miss you when I don't see you for awhile or anything."

"Gyu," Rosco answered, not sure exactly how to respond to the Duke patriarch's words. Eventually he gave up and just asked, "All right, Jesse, what do you need?"

"Well, I got a little problem and I'm stuck out here on the Midnight Pass. I'm gonna need a little help getting out of the mud here."

"Now Jesse, you know this ain't exactly the Hazzard County Garage. You need to one of the Davenports to come and get you out of that mess. Gyu, I'm gone."

Luke snickered as he heard the next part.

"Rosco! You ain't goin' nowheres! This here's Crazy Cooter comin' at ya, I may be crazy, but I ain't dumb. What I am, though, is stuck here with Jesse Duke. We was out here for a little drive an' now we got ourselves a serious mud problem. An there ain't no one at the garage to come an' get us, 'cause I'm here, got it?"

"Ijit! What're you doin' out there, Cooter?"

"Me and Mr. Uncle Jesse decided to come out here and look at the moonlight. Does it matter? Just come and help us out of here before we get et by the Hazzard County wildlife!"

"All right, Cooter, I'm comin'. You're lucky you're needed around here or you'd both be sittin' out there 'til the cows came home."

Jesse's voice came across the airwaves again: "Rosco, the cows have been home for hours now. Just get out here."

* * *

Daisy was monitoring the police channel as well, from behind the bar of the Boar's Nest. It was still fairly early in the evening, but Luke had a long drive, and he'd wanted to get started soon after dark. They'd all agreed that once he got through Hazzard and across the state line, he'd have no real problems, since he knew full well how to disappear into the Tennessee mountain back roads. He'd only done it maybe a hundred times before. 

Enos was theoretically off-duty for the evening, filling his stomach and feasting his eyes while sitting across the bar from Daisy Duke. When he heard the exchange over the radio, however, he became all business.

"I'd better go, Daisy. The sheriff might need me!"

"Now, sugar," the barmaid reached across and placed a hand on his forearm, hiding a smile as she watched his face go from a healthy pink to a brilliant scarlet. "You ain't finished your dinner yet. An' Rosco will call if he needs you."

The deputy hesitated, torn between the woman of his dreams and the job he planned to use to support the two of them, if he could ever bring himself to ask for her hand.

"You want to put in a call to him, sugar? Tell him you're here if he needs you?" It was a calculated risk, but one Luke had been pretty sure would work.

"Okay, thank you Daisy," Enos answered as she handed him the CB mic from behind the bar. "Sheriff? This is Deputy Enos Strate. I'm here and ready to help you if you need me."

"Oh, Enos, I don't need no help with a car stuck in the mud. You just go on home or whatever it is you do when you ain't workin'."

"Yes, sir, Sheriff," Enos answered, not at all put off by Rosco's gruff tone. "I'm right here, though, if you need me."

"All right, Enos, all right, I know you're there."

* * *

Luke grinned as he began to roll into the darkness. It seemed too long since he'd last done this, and in fact it had been about seven months since he and Bo had gotten caught. The two of them had promised each other that they wouldn't let their 'shine running driving skills go to waste, but in the months that had followed their arrest, they'd been pretty limited in opportunities to keep in practice. They'd had neither the time nor the wheels. 

After Enos' transmission, Luke switched over to the agreed upon channel. Jesse and Cooter had lured Rosco in the exact opposite direction from where Luke was headed, but the older Duke boy cruised slowly while awaiting confirmation that the sheriff would be no threat to him. Luke was on an old trail, passing one of his favorite still sites when the call came.

"This is Crazy Cooter comin' at ya, Lost Sheep. You hip to my jive?"

"Cooter!" Luke wanted to be annoyed, but couldn't. Only that crazy mechanic would try to use words like _hip_ and _jive _over the local CB airwaves. At least, on this channel, no one but Luke would hear him. "Just give me the news, wouldja?"

"Well, I took ya one better than your plan," the mechanic reported with way too much glee for Luke's comfort.

"Oh, man, what did you do?"

"Well, if you'll hold up at the Hickory Crossroads, I'll escort you out of town, lookin' all legal-like. Won't no revenuers in Hazzard mess with you."

"Cooter! What did you do?"

"I just sweet-talked ol' Rosco out of his patrol car. He's back there with Uncle Jesse, sittin' in the mud."

"Oh, Lord."

"Now there ain't nothin' to worry about. I just convinced him that if I took his car to town, I could come back with a tow truck for Uncle Jesse. And I will, too, once I get you out of Hazzard."

"Cooter, I don't know whether to kill you or kiss you."

"If it ain't no never mind, I'd just as soon you don't do neither."

A thought suddenly occurred to Luke, since he hadn't exactly figured on Cooter appropriating the sheriff's cruiser. "What if Rosco calls for Enos' help?"

"He can't exactly do that, seein' as Uncle Jesse done cut a few cables in his CB."

"Let's just hope he don't wind up killin' ol' Rosco, stuck out there together with no way out until you get your butt back there. You're something else, Cooter Davenport."

"I aims to please."

Within a half hour, Luke had crossed the state line, waving out the window to his friend. No need to bring the Hazzard sheriff's patrol car into the next state; it would only draw attention. Besides, the mechanic needed to go back and rescue Jesse and Rosco. Luke only hoped the rest of his trip would go as smoothly as the start, and that his cousin would be easy to locate.

* * *

Bo flipped from his right side to his left, facing away from the couple in the other bed. They'd gotten a motel room, and while Bo had offered to sleep in the car, the newlyweds wouldn't hear of it. 

"It ain't like we're gonna do anything," Robby confided. "We already had our 'wedding night' long ago. An' Katie Jane's not exactly in the mood anyway."

Bo had noticed this last part himself. The young bride seemed to be missing Hazzard and her family every bit as much as Bo was. But they'd all agreed, the living they could earn in the mines was worth the sacrifice they were making.

And, true to their word, the young couple seemed to be doing nothing but sleeping. Bo, on the other hand, was listening to the sound of Robby's raspy snores coupled with Katie Jane's grinding teeth. These sounds grated on his ears as he thought about the familiar sound of Luke's deep breathing and occasional mumbled words. His older cousin could be rather entertaining in his sleep. Half the time, Bo couldn't decipher what he was talking about, but more than once a few clear words had been spoken during Luke's slumber. It seemed that the girls Luke dreamed of were not exactly accommodating of his wishes.

Trying, once again, to turn his thoughts away from Luke, Bo instead found himself wishing that the mines in Hazzard were still active. They'd been closed long ago, back when Jesse had been a toddler, so it wasn't likely that they would ever reopen. All the same, if there was any coal down there, Bo would have been glad to mine it so that he could stay close to his family. Though he'd looked at a map and knew exactly where he was right now, Bo Duke was incredibly lost. That was the thought that chased the youngest Duke cousin into the light sleep that would be all he got that night.


	7. Planting Seeds

_Thanks to everyone who has been reading, and special thanks to those who have been reviewing. The good news is, I've finished this thing! I warn you now, it's longer than I thought it would be._

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, any of the characters from the series, or the settings for this story. Although it contains some real events, it does not involve any real people, either living or dead._

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Chapter 7 – Planting Seeds

There was nothing, really, that she could do. Daisy had played her part in Luke's plan to get out of the state last night, and now all she and her uncle could do was wait. Still, patience was not a dominant characteristic in the Dukes' genetic makeup, and the beautiful young woman had become almost instantly restless. A nearly sleepless night was followed by an excruciatingly long morning, as she, Jesse and Cooter did their best to maintain the farm.

The mechanic had prevailed upon his father to resume opening the garage and staying for what were generally the very slow morning hours. Jerome Davenport had been agreeable; after being sworn to secrecy, then told the complete story of why his son's assistance was required, he'd given up his lazy mornings without a second thought.

Working alongside Cooter was a different kind of adventure than working with Bo and Luke, no question about that. Daisy could count on one hand the number of times that the Duke cousins had laughed through the entirety of morning chores, but with the mechanic, there was nothing else you could do. What Cooter could do to a car was almost musical in it's beauty; what he did to a cow derived a dissonant bovine protest like none Daisy had heard in her entire life on the farm. The chickens, as well, had complaints about the intruder, and Maudine, as always, made herself known. There was no way the mule would allow anything as filthy as the town's mechanic clean her stall, not on your life! Between the braying, mooing, clucks and laughter, the Duke farm was a noisy place that morning. Everything took at least twice as long to do, too, what with two men missing and some inexpert hands in the mix.

Finally, though, chores had been done and Cooter had escaped to the garage where he knew what he was doing. The cow and mule had been placated, and though the chickens were still fussy, Daisy couldn't remember a time when they hadn't been.

There were still several hours until her shift at work, and with only herself and Jesse to feed and clean up after, Daisy found herself with idle time at a point when she needed and wanted it least. Last summer she might have picked up one of the boys' guitars or Jesse's old mandolin and begun writing a song, but with all that had happened over the last 7 months, and more importantly the last couple of days, music was the last thing on Daisy's mind.

Determining that sitting at the kitchen table and fidgeting was not really doing anything for her mood, the young woman decided to find the one person who was probably feeling exactly the same way she was.

* * *

Tennessee was a blur to Luke. He knew the southern mountains almost as well as the lines and planes of his own face. For the beginning of his journey he'd chosen the most familiar route along winding back roads that no one except locals and moonshine runners would take. It was the closest thing to a direct course to the interstate, but it still took hours. There was something comforting about the curves, though; the last time he'd been up here, Bo had been in a passenger seat and they'd enjoyed the trip. Luke had always thought they'd take longer journeys together at some point, but their probation had put an end to that idea. 

Somewhere in the early morning hours he'd hit the interstate and from there the ride had been uninteresting. First light of this morning had found him at the Kentucky border, and also at a complete loss. It was one thing to look at the state on a map and try to divide it up into likely locations, and quite another to look around at hills, trees and houses and wonder where in the 40,000 square miles of this place would you find one man?

There wasn't a lot of money to spare, but Daisy had forced her tip jar on him before she'd headed off to work yesterday afternoon, so Luke did have plenty of small change. He got off the interstate in Williamsburg and found a street corner with a newspaper box on it. Digging out a dime, he went and got himself a paper. Sliding it onto the passenger seat next to him, Luke went in search of a local route that would take him into the mountains. Though it was now full light, the Duke boy needed to find himself a place to catch a few hours of sleep, and he knew that location would be somewhere off the beaten path.

* * *

Wisdom was not something that Jesse Duke had always possessed. He'd once been young, too, like his kids were now. He'd been wild, just like his boys; more like Bo than Luke. The thrill of a chase with a revenuer breathing down his tailpipes had brought him a lot more pleasure than planning a strategy for avoiding the federal agents in the first place would have. 

But he couldn't keep running that way all of his life. Some of the reason for his changing ways had been the kids themselves, and the way they'd affected their new guardians. They'd been a handful from the beginning, and had required a steadiness that Jesse had never really shown before. Oh, he'd had a hand in raising some of his younger brothers, but what he'd taught them was more along the lines of how to get into trouble, not how to stay out. His brothers' kids, though, had enough trouble already, what with all that they had lost before coming to him. They didn't need any more problems than they already had, though they were pretty intent on experiencing danger all the same.

After Lavinia passed, Jesse'd matured that much more, realizing that he needed to be a mother to these kids, as well as their father, uncle and guardian. And, in these last few years, age had played its part. He couldn't run at full speed the same way he used to, and so he didn't. Instead, he considered a thing from all angles before deciding the best way to use his fading energies.

Years ago he would have been so consumed with worry about Bo that he wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything until his youngest was safe, back under his roof. Now he recognized that there was more than one problem affecting his family, and while he had to trust Luke to solve one thing, the other was within his power to try to change.

And so the white-haired man found himself standing in the office of Ridge Owens, a man he'd known all his life, and yet hardly spoken more than a few words of greeting to in years. One glance into the tired brown eyes of the balding man whose beard had gone salt and pepper at some point when no one was paying attention, was enough to tell Jesse that he wasn't the first to drop by this place, unannounced.

"Jesse, long time no see," Ridge greeted cautiously. The Dukes had never worked at the mill, other than as occasional day labor, but the owner knew what they'd been growing on their back forty, and why. He'd been looking forward to their partnership, knowing that with Jesse Duke he'd get not only the best product, but honesty, as well. It was the way the man had distilled his liquor, and it would be the way he dealt with this new endeavor; Ridge never doubted that. How the government felt about homemade liquor products notwithstanding, the Dukes were honest, good, strong, and law abiding citizens. But it seemed that the owner of the mill would not get to work directly with the family after all.

"Ridge," Jesse nodded, and, shifting the red cap he'd taken off upon entering the building to his left hand, shook Owens' hand. Normally Jesse would ask after the man's family, but today he decided that he did not need to stick to small town pleasantries. It was obvious that Ridge knew why he was here, and was simply eager for the conversation to be over. Jesse obliged by getting it started.

"So, is it true, then Ridge? Is this place closin'?"

"Now Jesse, I don't want you to go jumpin' the gun too much with the workers out there," he gestured towards the production floor, "by tellin' 'em that. They know they're gettin' laid off, an' maybe that's all they need to know right now."

The Duke patriarch bristled, but remained civil. "All right, Ridge, I ain't askin' on their behalf. I need to know if I'm growin' somethin' that'll sell, or if we've just sowed us some real expensive dandelions to blow away in the fall wind."

The other man looked at his feet for a moment. Jesse Duke had that affect on people, and although Ridge Owens had owned and run his own business for a good twenty years, he was no exception.

"All right, Jesse, listen, I don't want to do it, but I gotta. I'll be selling the mill come summer."

"Sellin' it to someone that's gonna re-open it, or to someone that's gonna turn it into a tobacco factory?"

Tobacco was, along with moonshine, the backbone of Appalachian farming. So far Hazzard had depended on one product and not the other, and Jesse hoped it would stay that way. He was in no position to make moral judgments, and his reasoning had nothing to do with the relative health of smokers. He simply objected to the fact that "curing barns" had a habit of accidentally causing wildfires. Jesse had seen enough wildfires in his life, including one that had endangered the old Duke homestead; he certainly didn't need to experience another.

Sadness etched itself in the lines of Ridge's face. "Neither, I'm afraid. The mill's going to be razed, and there's been plans drawn up to put a mall and some condominiums on the land."

Jesse's eyes softened as he realized what must have happened. "How much are you into him for?"

"More than you can give me, but not so much that I didn't really think I could pay him back. I just didn't know we's gonna have such a tough winter, Jesse," the mill owner justified.

"He ain't never been one to go easy on nobody. How come he ain't already took possession?"

"He can't, I ain't defaulted yet. I will though, come August. An' he knows it, too. He's already after me to get out now, before it happens. There's days when I think about doin' that, Jesse."

Jesse's sympathy changed to anger in an instant, surprising both men in the room with its vehemence.

"If you ain't defaulted yet, then you need to quit feeling sorry for yourself and start figuring out what you're gonna do. Now, Ridge," Jesse's face made it quite clear that interrupting just now would be very unwise, "Don't give me no sad stories. If it ain't happened yet, we can still fix this. But you gotta stop acting like the world's comin' to an end, an' start actin' like a man that's got somethin' worth holdin' onto here. And you do," Jesse reminded him. "You're holdin' up the whole economy of Hazzard County, right here on this property. It ain't just you that you're supportin'," Jesse pointed to the men and women on the production floor. "It's them."

Once again, looking at his feet, Ridge Owens nodded. Then he looked up and actually smiled.

"You are somethin' Jesse Duke. The way you talk – it gives a man hope."

"You got to find that in yourself, Ridge. It's in there, and you're sure gonna need it."

* * *

Things hadn't exactly gone as planned, and the newlyweds were quiet this afternoon. Robby had hoped that they'd at least get a lead on jobs today, by talking to the men in the mining towns. So far they'd learned that no one was hiring, and in fact, some were looking to lay men off. They'd already learned that many of the mines were slowly switching over to a supposedly safer and more efficient way of getting the coal from the Earth: strip mining. 

Bo knew a little on the subject, at least theoretically. They'd learned something about it in school, and despite how his cousins teased him, he had picked quite a lot in classes, even if he'd complained bitterly about having to go. He'd never seen the results of this type of mining in real life, though, at least not until now. As they talked to some of the families that had lived and worked in this part of the country their whole lives, Bo discovered that the landslides, lack of trees and dearth of animals in the hills they'd come through was not due to any natural ill health of this area. Instead, the process of strip mining, or essentially removing the tops from the mountains, had caused all of these problems, and more. Landslides led to sudden deposits of silt into the rivers, which flooded back up into the lowlands. No one knew how it affected the drinking water, but it was visibly dirtier than it had once been.

Aside from suddenly being very grateful the mines in Hazzard had long since closed, despite his wishes of the night before, Bo understood that this meant the chances of him and Robby getting jobs had diminished. They'd have to search further and wider for what they sought, because it was clear, as they looked into one another's eyes, that neither one would be giving up on this endeavor. They each felt that they had too much to lose if they walked away.

Once again the threesome planned to spend the night in a hotel. Bo had suggested camping, but they were without even rudimentary supplies, and Katie Jane was not in the least amused by the concept of sleeping under the stars. Bo was a fan of the practice, as he and Luke had done it since childhood, but it was clear that neither one of the young couple ever had. Besides, the weather up here was cooler than it had been in Georgia, especially in the mountains.

A compromise was struck. Bo, not wishing to be the third wheel on this new marriage any longer, would go his own way that night. After a quick, inexpensive, fast-food meal that had left the unaccustomed Duke boy a little sick to his stomach, Robby and Katie Jane were deposited at a hotel for the night. Bo would pick them up in the morning, and what he did in between, they wouldn't ask.

Driving Robby's old Chevy Chevelle much more carefully than he would one of his own family's vehicles, Bo headed for the hills, seeking a secluded location to make camp.

* * *

Cooter had been humbled by his morning at the Duke farm. Though he technically lived on one himself, it was more the remnants of a farm, something his ancestors had worked long before he was born. When the first automobile had driven into Hazzard back in 1917, Cooter's grandfather had walked away from his plow and never gone back. From then on, Davenports were mechanics. 

Still, Cooter decided, there was planting seeds and then there was planting seeds. And he was uniquely qualified for the particular type he was about to do. When some of the local boys showed up at the garage in the evening, as he knew they would, the town mechanic began his own brand of sowing.

Waiting for the right break in the conversation, Cooter seized it when it came.

"Man, it's been so hot these past few days. Wish I was out with them Duke boys."

"Why, where are they?" Dobro asked, not so much caring about the Duke boys as where else Cooter might actually long to be. As far as anyone knew, his favorite place was right here, in the garage, half stooped over a car.

"They're out on a boar hunting trip in the hills, won't be back for a week, maybe two. Don't that sound like fun?"

Most of the young men in the garage agreed it did, if only they could get away from whatever it was that held each of them at home.

"Man, how are they getting away for so long? You know they always have to leave this here garage to get back to the farm and help Jesse. If they can't stay at the garage for even a whole afternoon, how can they stay out hunting for a couple of weeks?"

Cooter would have liked to kill Dobro for that one, but of course, it was a reasonable question, spoken in utter jealousy. The mechanic berated himself for not having anticipated it, even as he thought quickly to answer it.

"I don't know much about farming," Cooter grinned, realizing that this was the one bit of truth he was telling tonight, "but I guess now that they've planted the cotton, it don't need any more attention?"

This started the group into a discussion of farming practices, whose family grew which crops and in what amounts, and ultimately, who owned the best tractor. This led back, full circle, to a discussion of cars, and the grubby mechanic congratulated himself. He'd sowed the seeds, and now he just had to sit back and watch them grow. He knew that eventually they'd flower over in the county courthouse, and that was his goal.


	8. A Blonde Needle in a Bluegrass Haystack

_Thanks to everyone who has been keeping up with this story, and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who review. Thank you for the inspiration._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Dukes or the settings for this story. Although the story will contain some real events, the people (both living and dead) are all fictional. I am not making any money from what I have written here._

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Chapter 8 – A Blonde Needle in a Bluegrass Haystack

If there was one thing everyone could agree to about J.D. Hogg, it was that he had an impressive gut. It preceded his nose by about a foot as he strutted across Hazzard Square from one of his offices to another. Someone, somewhere, must have told him that white was slimming, since he never wore anything else. It didn't work though, because of all the many things the man owned, his gut was still the most notable.

And, as he entered his office in the Hazzard County Courthouse, he found that his gut was giving him a feeling, and for once, it wasn't hunger pains.

"Rosco!" the County Commissioner puffed, exhausted from his half-block walk. Dang that Sheriff! He knew his boss would want to see him; he always did. Why didn't he just appear instead of making Hogg call him?

"Gyu, uh, yes Boss?" the sheriff peeked into the room, eyes shifting and hat held in his hands.

Though normally he'd make Rosco fetch him some lunch before talking business, that feeling in his gut, the non-hunger, had to be discussed first.

"Rosco. Ain't things been kinda quiet these past few days?"

"Well, of course. Me and Enos been keepin' the peace, kyu!" the sheriff answered with that irksome little smile.

The older man scavenged his drawers for a cigar. Instead, he found a half-eaten bag of potato chips. Stuffing a giant handful of them into his mouth, and not bothering to chew or swallow completely, Boss announced, "Rosco, I got a lot of important things brewing." The meaningful look he gave the sheriff was totally lost; all he encountered in return was a certain sort of earnest confusion.

"Right, Boss, important things. What important things?"

"Dat, Rosco, never you mind exactly what things. Just the kind of things that we don't need anyone getting in the middle of…" Again, the commissioner looked at his underling with eyebrows raised to convey a meaning that the sheriff didn't grasp. "Oh, Rosco, you just go out there and find out why those Duke boys ain't already ruinin' my plans, you got it? They been too quiet lately."

"Khee! You got it Boss. I'll find 'em and I'll knock 'em into next week for ya."

"Rosco, you couldn't knock 'em into next week even if it already was next week."

"Huh?"

In absolute disgust the commissioner chased his lackey from the building, having forgotten to send him after some lunch. Hoisting his girth from the seat he'd taken just moments ago, J.D. Hogg took his gut to Miss Ruby's Café. If he wasn't careful, he might just waste away, what with all this walking.

* * *

Though he'd developed a plan, which was an activity that usually gave him hope, Luke was getting quite discouraged in his search for Bo. He would change plans if only he could think of a better one, but so far that hadn't happened. After all, it was a matter of finding a blonde needle in a bluegrass haystack, and no matter how you went about it, success wasn't very likely. Still, the oldest Duke cousin was haunted by his uncle's description of a lost brother, and as impossible as locating the teen had been so far, Luke could not imagine how empty his life would be if he didn't find Bo. 

Without fail, Luke's morning began with first light. He'd taken to camping on the east side of the hills when he could, finding that he'd wind up rising too late for his own tastes when he slept on the west or in a valley. As soon as he was up, before he could think twice about it, the Duke boy would find the nearest source of water, and both awaken and cleanse himself with the icy liquid. The heat wave that had been in effect in Hazzard when he'd left was long forgotten now; these hills were cold, and it was only March, after all. Shivering, he'd return to camp and make himself a small fire and a large breakfast. Though he was not in a position to make a true farm meal, he could at least heat up a hearty helping of oatmeal, plus toast himself some bread. It wasn't like this was the first time he'd lived this way. In the service, he'd eaten the "morning mystery meal" more times than was probably healthy for him. Comparatively, what he was serving himself now was ambrosia.

After his breakfast, Luke would douse the fire, break up camp, and head for the nearest town, seeking his daily newspaper. Some days he'd buy it, and others, if he was near a big enough population center for there to be one, he'd go to the library. Always, he'd start with the employment section, checking to see if any of the local mines were advertising for help. Then the boy would spend the rest of the day tracking down any leads he'd managed to find.

It made for an interesting day, seeking out the mining communities, and then finding the General Store. Much like Cooter's garage back home, the store was the place to meet and talk to people. He'd inquire after a big blonde boy of nineteen with midnight eyes and an easy smile. Before he knew what had happened, Luke would find himself drawn into all manner of conversation about mining, farming, the soil, and life in general. He'd learned that the land that was now mines had once been farmland, bought by the coal companies for about twenty-five cents an acre, around the time of the Great Depression. While it had seemed like a godsend at the time, the money was long gone, and the only thing left for residents to do was work in the mines for an amount that was very near the minimum wage. Most of the men and women here would never consider leaving this area, not if they could help it. They loved the mountains into which they had been born. They were a friendly, talkative sort, but none of them had seen Bo Duke.

Luke also discovered that some of the younger generation did have a certain amount of wanderlust, especially the young girls. They'd been taught by their mothers and their mothers' mothers, that if you married a miner, you had to take into account that you might wind up a widow. There were times when the handsome young Georgian found himself the target of wishful young ladies, hoping he'd take them to a different life. This was flattering in its own way, as Luke had never been seen as anyone's ticket out of anything before. But as flirting was not on his agenda, he always moved along quickly, wishing the girls well and favoring them with a smile and a wink. They were cute, if only he'd had the inclination. Then again, he couldn't bear to break these young ladies' hearts. They seemed somehow more fragile than Hazzard girls.

Though he knew more about mining towns than he ever had before, the one thing Luke could never learn was the location of his younger cousin. There was always a sadness in the eyes of the men who told him they hadn't seen the boy, one that seemed akin to what he had seen from Jesse as he spoke about Carleton. Luke always shook the miners hands and told them not to worry, he'd find his cousin. He wasn't sure who, exactly, he was reassuring, himself or the other men, but they all felt a little better for it.

The best part of Luke's dreary days was calls he made to the farm every morning. He'd quickly learned that the early chores were taking longer than usual, thanks to his and Bo's absence. In his first few days away it had taken several attempts to connect to the farm before he'd actually reached anyone, but now they'd agreed, he'd call at 11:00 AM, and either Jesse or Daisy would make a point to be there. Though they all would have liked to talk for more than a few minutes, they never allotted themselves more than five a day, as the tip jar that Daisy had handed Luke became ever lighter. They'd quickly trade any news, make promises that they were all fine and assure themselves that Bo would be home soon.

And, after that brief moment of cheer, Luke's pessimistic side would reassert itself as he looked at the land around him and wondered just how he'd find his cousin in all of it.

* * *

Jesse's favorite part of the day was when they got those calls from his oldest. He knew it would take time, but he never doubted that Luke would find Bo. Those boys knew each other better than they knew themselves, a fact which Jesse had proven to them only a few months ago. 

_They'd been fighting over a girl, a friend of Maybelle's that was in town for just a week. Both were attracted to her, and as usual, Luke was trying to talk his younger cousin out of his interest in her. He'd suggested that this girl, Beth, wasn't Bo's type._

_Bo snapped, "You don't know nothin', Luke. If you think she's not my type, then hell, you don't even know me!"_

"_Bo! You just watch your language!" Jesse had yelled._

"_Sorry, Uncle Jesse. It's just, Luke here thinks he knows me so well, and he don't."_

"_I'll tell you one thing I do know, cousin…"_

"_Luke!" Jesse stopped him before this could get out of hand. His boys were competitive by nature, which was usually a good thing. After all, it made sure that the farm work got done well and quickly. Neither boy could stand to let his cousin do a lick more than he did himself, so they were always racing to see who could complete a chore the fastest and the best. But sometimes that competitiveness manifested itself in slightly less appealing ways. _

"_Now, I'm about to put my foot down and keep you both in the house until Beth goes back to Clemson! So just you calm down and forget that girl, you hear me?"_

_The automatic "Yes, sir," the each boy uttered indicated that while they would obey, they were not yet done being mad at each other. Jesse decided to take another approach._

"_Besides, you boys know each other better'n you think. Luke," he'd chosen his oldest first, because that boy was a thinker. He'd wind up proving Jesse's point just by the nature of his personality. "If there's a girl at the Boar's Nest, an' she's strugglin' with a man she don't want to be with, what's your cousin gonna do?"_

"_Well, knowin' him," Luke said with a smirk, "He'll hit 'em first and ask questions later. And then," giving a knowing look to his younger cousin, Luke finished, "While I'm stuck finishin' up what he started, he'll be flirtin' with the little filly."_

"_Dang right!" Bo acknowledged with glee. "Except there wouldn't be much finishin' to do, since I'd do almost all the work with that first punch."_

_Jesse held up his hands to signal the end of the banter, at least for now. "Okay, Luke, and what would you do in that same situation?"_

"_Well, I don't know, I'd…" Luke wasn't really hesitating, just thinking his answer through, Jesse knew. And, not surprising the Duke patriarch one bit, Bo didn't give him a chance._

"_Ol' Luke, there, he don't move so quick. He's gettin' old, you know," Bo answered, getting some amusement from the expression on his older cousin's face. "Nah. He'd go up to the guy, and real quiet-like, he'd say, 'She ain't interested.' Ain't it funny how he gets quieter when he's mad?"_

"_Oh yeah, real funny, cuz."_

"_It's true, though, you do. Anyone with any smarts gets right out of your way when you get like that. Anyway, he warns the guy first, and then lets the other guy take the first swing. He ducks, grabs hold of the guy's waist, then he chucks him over the bar. And the pretty lady thanks him, and then she asks me to dance!" Bo's eyes twinkled in mischief. _

"_Yep, you boys know each other better than you know yourselves. And you know you're both gonna like any new lady that comes through town. But she's not gonna want anything to do with either one of you if you keep actin' like fools!"_

_And, good natured boys that they were, they'd laughed and agreed that Beth wasn't shapely enough for either one of them anyhow, then gone off somewhere to talk about cars and racing._

Yep, Luke would find his cousin, Jesse believed that wholeheartedly. And in those five minutes per day it was his job, as the boy's father-substitute, to keep the brunette motivated. From the time they were little boys, their guardian had noticed that Luke's hair color wasn't the only thing that was darker than Bo's – his moods, in general, tended to be less upbeat. Without even knowing what he was doing, Bo kept the older boy from becoming too pessimistic, and now, with the baby of the family unavailable to perform the task, it fell to Jesse. So during those brief intervals when he could talk to the boy, he did his best to provide hope.

It was something of an uphill battle, inspiring Luke, when Jesse himself was so discouraged by what was going on around him. The farm was doing better than expected without his boys to keep it running. The cotton was growing, and Jesse was trying his darnedest to make sure that there would be a mill to sell it to. But considering the defeatist attitude of the mill's owner, it was quite the struggle. And it was about to get worse, since it seemed Jesse was going to have to make a trip into town to see a man that he preferred to spend as little time with as possible.

* * *

Luke's calls were important to Daisy as well, and they ought to have been the highlight of her day, but she had to admit to herself, they weren't. Each day that went by without him finding Bo was as hard on her as it was on her older cousin. And she couldn't help but be affected by the way it seemed to be bringing Luke down. He tried to stay positive with her, but she could hear the anxiety in his voice. 

She and Jesse, left alone in the house, had settled into a rather quiet existence. They were affectionate and supportive of one another, but somehow, without the two boys there making so much racket, the house and its occupants became very still. Cooter came each morning and they tried to enjoy him like they had on that first day, but they were too lost in their own thoughts to have a whole lot of fun. The mechanic himself was trying awfully hard to keep their spirits up, but instead, they seemed to be bringing him down.

Once their friend was gone and they'd talked to Luke, the two remaining Dukes in Hazzard shared a light lunch, then went their separate ways. Daisy understood that Jesse was trying to find a way to keep the mill open, and she'd offered to help. The patriarch told her that when the time came that he needed help, she'd be the first to know, but for now there wasn't anything to help with. And so, as Jesse headed off to his errands, Daisy drove down a series of old farm roads to the Haines house.

The oldest Haines boy, Ken, was still working at the mill, on the swing shift. Ken's middle brother, Steve, also had a mill job, same shift as Ken. His father, with the seniority of 25 years, worked something closer to regular business hours. Father and sons hardly saw one another, though they would pass as one left and the others began work, and exchange a few words before going their different ways.

In the early afternoons, Ken was not yet at work, and neither was Daisy. Very quickly, this became their time to get together and talk. It always started with the update from Luke, but since it only took a minute to convey the lack of news, the pair were left with a couple of hours to kill before they each had to report to their jobs.

Daisy had begun to visit with Ken after Luke left. He was the one person that was still in town who felt exactly the same way she did. They both had a brother out there somewhere, possibly in danger, and totally out of communication with the families that had raised them. Granted, Daisy's brother was her blood cousin, but that had never changed the way she'd felt about him, and she'd always assumed he felt the same way. She was only now starting to question that, since she couldn't imagine the Bo Duke she knew running off like this.

That was just the kind of thing she and the older Haines brother talked about; how they missed their kin and couldn't believe they'd do this. Ken did say that Robby probably feared their father as he had always been strict with his boys when it came to dating and girls. Daisy could believe this, considering how much of a gentleman Ken had been when they'd dated. Most of the other boys in school would at least try something, even if they knew they wouldn't get away with it, but not Ken.

For the first time in years, the only surviving female Duke found herself drawn to Ken Haines. But before she could even consider dating him, or anyone for that matter, she needed to know that her little cousin was all right.

* * *

Despite the inauspicious start to their trip, the young wedding party had come to the end of their travels by the early part of the week. Harlan County hadn't been friendly, but one county north, Letcher, was home to a number of mines, one of which needed a few coal loaders. Though they had no experience, both of the young men from Hazzard were visibly strong and eager, and were quickly hired. There was only one opening on the day shift, and Bo insisted that Robby should take it, so he could be home in the evening with Katie Jane. The Duke boy would be on the afternoon shift, and both of them would report to the Southeastern Main tunnel the following day. Training would be brief, as most of what they'd need was their strength. However there were certain dangers they'd need to be aware of, and the foreman for each shift would keep them close at hand for the first week or so. 

Housing was another matter, and located in town, just to the west of the mine. Because they were a couple, Robby and Katie Jane qualified for their own little cabin. It would take much of Robby's pay, but as long as he had enough money left over to feed and clothe his new family, that part wasn't important to him. Bo, however, sought the least expensive housing available. He found himself in a rooming house, well up the hill from the mine. The building was shared by ten men, some of whom had lived there for years, but most, like Bo, were young. It was a filthy place, with only one shared bathroom and kitchen, but it was cheap, and for now, that was all Bo cared about. The room he stayed in was about six feet by nine, with a tiny cot and dresser. There was no closet, but the Duke boy never had gotten the hang of using one of those anyway. He mostly relied on the floor or a chair to hold his clothing when he wasn't wearing it. Of course, there was no chair in this tiny bedroom, but that didn't matter. He had a job and a place to live, and in two weeks he'd have his first paycheck to send back to Hazzard. Once his family received that, he was sure they'd forgive him for leaving the way he had.

At least, he really hoped they would. For all his anger and resentment at the argument they'd had before he left, he missed them something fierce. And so he closed the door to his tiny room, sat down on his cot and cried.


	9. They're Always Doing Something Foolish

_Hi all! Thanks to everyone who has been sticking with me on this one, and double thanks to those who have taken the time to review. I know you all have busy lives, so I appreciate it!_

_Starting from here, I will be including some actual events. It's important to note that while some of the events really occurred, the details are all mine. This is sort of a dramatization of those events, not a documentary by any means. None of the people are real. And, I manipulate those events for my purposes as well._

_Again, I mean no harm to those who have earned, or continue to earn, their living through coal mining. This story simply presents one point of view: mine._

_I don't own the Dukes or the settings for this story, and I am not making any money by borrowing them in this way._

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Chapter 9 – They're Always Doing Something Foolish

It took his breath away, and nearly knocked him off his feet, as well. Forgetting the cost, Luke shoved some coins across the counter at the gas station, and bought not only the local newspaper, but also the New York Times, both of which had had the same lead story. The Hazard Herald had a four-inch headline, however, and that was what had caused the older Duke boy's throat to constrict so much that he could barely thank the teenager across the counter that had completed his transaction.

Luke had headed for the small town of Hazard, Kentucky out of a certain curiosity. There were mining towns dotting the entire region around Hazard, so it wasn't as though he'd really gone out of his way to get to the town. It wasn't an actual lead, but he'd been searching for more than a week now, and he was losing faith in his technique. Something between homesickness and instinct had been to blame for him standing here, but now he didn't care what his reasoning had been. He was both glad and sorry that he'd had to stop for gas. Because now he absolutely knew where his cousin was.

Trotting back to Tilly, he closed himself into the car and pulled away from the pump, finding a maple tree to park under before looking again at the words that had turned his world upside down.

**15 PRESUMED DEAD IN MINE BLAST!**

He forced himself to read enough to understand where and when this had happened. Swiping a hand across suddenly blurring eyes, Luke pulled out his map, and made some estimations. He could be in the town of Oven Fork in just a couple of hours.

First, though, he glanced back towards the gas station and found what he was looking for. It was a little earlier than his usual time, but he'd have to call home now, because once he started heading east, he didn't plan to stop until he'd located what he'd come to this state to find.

"Daisy!" Luke's voice on the phone was a comfort to his female cousin; a small one, but better than none at all.

"Luke," she responded quietly, voice breaking slightly.

"Daisy, there's been an explosion in a place called Oven Fork."

"I know, cousin," she answered. "I been listenin' to the radio while I was doin' the dishes." She, like Luke, was certain that the youngest Duke had made his way to that small town on the eastern Kentucky border.

"I'm sure he's all right, sweetheart," Luke tried to convince them both. "I'm goin' there just to be sure, but don't you worry. He ain't one of the fifteen."

"Oh, Luke, I hope not, but I can't help thinkin'…" She couldn't finish for the sobs that came, unbidden, from her very soul.

"Hey," the older boy answered, very gently, assuming his well-worn role as oldest sibling. "Don't do that, darlin'. Shh, Daisy-girl, it'll be all right."

Both cousins shared the same wish: that they were within touching distance. The family had always been a very physical one, constantly laying a hand on one another's shoulders or touching an elbow. That was one of the reasons Luke had missed them all so much while he'd been in the military. You just _didn't_ get as affectionate with your bunkmates as the Dukes all did with one another. In times of trouble, their ability to literally hold onto one another was a large part of what got them through.

Knowing that Jesse must be out of the house or his cousin wouldn't be in such a state, Luke inquired after the patriarch. Finding her voice again, Daisy said, "He's out checking the cotton."

"Okay, Daisy, then I need you to do me a big favor, okay? Go out there, right now, and talk to him. He needs to know, and you need him to help you deal with this, all right?"

Hearing this instruction brought Daisy back to herself. "Who's gonna help you deal with it, Luke?"

"Don't worry about me, sweetheart. I'll be okay," Luke told her, hoping he was right about that. "Just go tell Jesse. I'll call you as soon as I know something."

* * *

The news hit Jesse just as hard as it had hit his kids. He'd come back to the house with Daisy, and the two of them had comforted each other as best they could. He wished he had a means of reaching Luke, but even Cooter's powerful transmitters wouldn't reach far outside of Hazzard County, much less all the way to Kentucky. So the patriarch had to convince himself to try to believe what Luke had told Daisy – that he would be all right. 

Once the worst of the shock had worn off, his Daisy realized that she had an important mission to accomplish; she needed to inform the Haines family. Jesse was proud of his girl for thinking of others that way, but he cautioned her that while the Duke clan all felt like the Bo and Robby were in Oven Fork, that didn't mean that they were, or that they were in any danger. Although she had an obligation to tell Ken about the explosion and the men that were missing as a result, she should do it in a responsible manner.

Daisy took everything he said very seriously, and promised to convey the information carefully. With a kiss to her uncle's cheek and a gentle squeeze to his shoulder, she'd gone out to the barn to do the most important chores before heading off to complete a very difficult task. That child was a credit to him and her late aunt.

Now that he was alone, Jesse came to realize that sitting in the kitchen was not doing him any good. He really should go help Daisy, but couldn't see himself performing routine chores right now. Like the younger man he had once been, he decided that the cure for his distress would be action. He couldn't very well head off to Kentucky just now, not unless Luke needed him there. So he did the next best thing. Telling his only girl where he'd be, he got into his pickup and headed for the Hazzard County courthouse.

* * *

Cooter passed Jesse's pickup as he headed to the Duke farm a little later than he'd been normally been arriving. He had what he thought was terrific news though, so the mechanic hoped they wouldn't mind his slight tardiness. 

"Uncle Shepherd, this is Crazy Cooter, come back. You got your ears on?"

"Yeah, Crazy-C this is Shepherd. What can I do for you?"

"Well, now Uncle Shepherd, I can't help but notice you're headin' away from the farm. You all still want my help this morning?"

"I ain't your Uncle Shepherd, and yes, go help Daisy. I got some errands in town to run, but that girl could use your help – and support."

"10-4, Shepherd." Cooter had latched onto the last part of Jesse's transmission and pressed his foot down a little harder on the accelerator of his tow truck. He didn't know what kind of support his friend needed, but whatever it was, Cooter would provide it.

Parking in front of the house, the mechanic jumped out of the cab of his pickup. Not sure whether Daisy would be in the house or the barn, he called her name before starting to look. There was something he wanted to tell her, but as soon as her red-eyed, tear-streaked face peered out from the barn door, he forgot all about it. He'd seen this family through a lot, and he'd always had a soft spot in his heart for the only female Duke. She somehow managed to straddle the line between substitute mother, sister, beauty queen and tomboy; her sometimes tough façade hid a gentle heart that was easily hurt.

Cooter trotted to where she stood and opened his arms. The young woman that he'd half adopted as his own little sister accepted the offer, and let her tears fall. Greasy hands stroked her hair, while the mechanic waited for the emotion to subside enough for words to take its place. Normally he'd worry about the dirt transfer between himself and the beautiful young woman, but right now it was clear that such things were trivial.

"I'm sorry," Daisy finally whispered.

"Nothin' to be sorry for, sweetheart. You just tell ol' Cooter what's goin' on, okay? Did somethin' happen to Luke?"

Daisy's hair flew as she shook her head. "Not Luke, Bo. There was a mine blast up in Kentucky. Fifteen men are presumed dead."

"Was Bo there?"

"We don't really know, Cooter. Luke's on his way there now. But, I can't shake the feelin' that he's there," she admitted.

Pulling her close again, trying to fill the role that her missing cousins would normally play, Cooter felt awkward all the same. He was often thought of, around town, as an honorary Duke. When it came to the affection the family shared, though, the mechanic hadn't been raised the same way. He did his best, but he was sure that Bo or Luke could have offered her better comfort.

"Even if he's there, sweetheart, I'm sure he's fine," Cooter tried, thinking his words were probably better than his arms. "In fact, I bet he's done saved those fifteen men by now. You know your cousin."

"Yeah," Daisy said, managing a small smile and pulling away. "Listen, we got to get these chores done so's I can go and talk to the Haines family about… all this."

"Right," Cooter said. "Well, Sadie the goat's the only one I ain't made mad at me yet. What do you say I give that a go?" He grabbed the milking bucket.

"She'll love you Cooter, if you don't treat her teats like bolts. You ain't got to twist them, you know. They don't come off."

"So that's what I been doin' wrong! Hey, Daisy?"

"What, sugar?"

"You think that technique of not twisting would work on Sally Mae, too?" the mechanic asked, referring to the girl he'd been seeing on and off for a few weeks.

"Cooter!" Daisy's smile was the second best thing the mechanic had seen all morning. The very best thing he'd seen would have to wait until the family heard from Luke again.

* * *

The conversation turned on Jesse before he even knew what had happened. Later, he'd blame it on his own distractedness that morning, but at the time, he couldn't understand why he hadn't seen it coming. 

The farmer had been cornering his once friend, now nemesis, about a loan he'd given to Ridge Owens the year before. Jesse had pointed out the unreasonable rate of interest and suggested that perhaps the FDIC would be interested in investigating a bank that charged that much. And, if that particular agency didn't care, Jesse could contact his new allies at the Internal Revenue Service. When the Dukes' deal with the revenuers had been struck seven months ago, an alliance had been formed. In fact, now both Joe Higgins and Andy Roach were in Atlanta, so there were two powerful agents he could call on. While Hogg's bank might not be of interest to the Division of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Andy and Joe would put the right tax agents on J.D.'s tail. After all, Jesse pointed out, it wasn't like the commissioner was likely to be claiming that kind of interest on his income tax returns.

As Jesse's argument was building to its crescendo, the little fat man tried to change the subject, a tactic that had always annoyed Jesse.

"Now Jesse, you ain't got time to be worryin' about no loans to Ridge Owens. You're gonna have a hard enough time payin' your own mortgage, alongside the bail you're gonna have to pay for your boys. I got Rosco out there lookin' for 'em now. You see, there's the little issue of Miz Tisdale's cab, which was reported stolen last night. She's still got the only key in her purse, so the only way it could have been taken was if someone hotwired it. An' them boys of yours is known for their hotwiring abilities."

"My boys ain't hotwired no cab. Why, they ain't even around to do somethin' like that!" As soon as the statement was out of his mouth, Jesse regretted it. While he hadn't exactly admitted to anything in particular, he had certainly said more than was wise. And now he was going to have to find his way out of it without lying.

"Where exactly are those boys of yours, Jesse? They ain't done nothin' foolish now, like breakin' their probation, have they?" Boss simpered.

"They're always doin' something foolish J.D., they're boys. But they're good boys and they ain't doin' nothin' to hurt no one."

"You ain't exactly answered my question now, have you? Where are your boys?"

"They're out in the woods." Jesse assumed this was true. "I sent Luke on a huntin' trip." Jesse was trying to be honest and stick with Luke's plan, both. "Don't make no nevermind, though! This conversation ain't about Bo and Luke! It's about you and your interest rates! Why a mobster would be ashamed to call you a friend!"

"Now Jesse, I don't think you want to be callin' no revenuers, see, because if you do, I'm just gonna have to cut me a deal of my own. I'll give them information about two boys that done broke their probation, in return for them not investigatin' my taxes. I think they'll be more interested in pursuing a pair of known criminals than tryin' to make a case against a pillar of the community like me."

"You just wipe that smirk off your face, J.D. My boys ain't done nothin' half as bad as you do every day. Now I'm gonna go, because I can see we ain't getting nowhere with this threatnin' one another. But I'll be back, you can count on it!"

The Duke patriarch slammed out of Boss's office, angrier than he'd been since the night the boys had been caught running 'shine. And, just like that night, he had to admit, the person he was mad at was himself. He should have seen Boss's tactic for what it was, but he'd been too irritated by the grand theft auto accusation to think straight. And, assuming they were both still alive, his boys would pay the price for his error in judgment.

* * *

Luke had tried, followed by Jesse and ultimately Cooter, but none of them had been able to give Daisy the same kind of peace that Ken Haines did. Maybe it was that he knew exactly how she felt, stuck here in Hazzard while a family member was so far away and possibly in danger. Or maybe it was just that he, unlike the Duke family, assumed that Bo and Robby were probably not employed by the Scotia mine company. 

"Oh, Daisy. What are the odds, really? There are so many places they could be, why assume the worst?"

She could have tried to explain about how the Dukes always seemed to have almost a sixth sense about each other, and that she'd seen her hunches proved true more than once when it came to her cousins. Or she could have told him that Bo was a trouble magnet, as she and Luke had always called him when they were younger, and even if there was only one dangerous place in all of 40,000 square miles, somehow Bo would be there. Then she could have added that Luke had already checked so many places that there weren't as many possible alternatives as Ken thought.

But she didn't say any of those things. Instead, she looked into the eyes of the boy she'd dated years ago and decided he probably had a point, that her family's youngest and his were likely somewhere else entirely, and would probably call that very night to tell them that they were just fine. The Haines boy's confidence was extremely appealing to Daisy at that moment, and given a choice she would certainly have stayed the entire afternoon, letting him convince her that everything would be all right.

But if she missed her shift at work, Boss would need a reason. She couldn't lie, but she couldn't tell him the truth either. Even assuming that Bo really wasn't in danger and Luke found him, the boys would still need to get safely home, without Boss ever knowing they'd left the state. She had to get to the Boar's Nest, like it or not.

So, leaving the arms of a young man that was becoming her anchor in a world where nothing else seemed solid or safe, Daisy got into the car her older cousin had given her, and headed for town.


	10. No Place for Folks as Innocent as You

_Hey all! I've been saying that this story would include some real events, and as I introduced in the last chapter, this is where that happens. The town of Oven Fork, Kentucky is real, though I am certain that it looks absolutely nothing like I describe it. The Scotia Mine disaster really happened. However, aside from those details, everything else has been manufactured. Rule of thumb: if it happens to any of the characters in this story, it is not real. And even my portrayal of the things that actually did happen is not completely accurate; timing and other factors have been manipulated somewhat. No harm is intended to anyone who experienced the real events, or anyone who earns their living through coal mining._

_I do not own the Dukes or any of the settings for this story, and no money is being made as the result of what is written here. Although this story incorporates actual events, it does not include real people, either living or dead._

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Chapter 10 – No Place for Folks as Innocent as You

Oven Fork, the Kentucky town that contained the Scotia mine, was even smaller than Hazzard, Georgia; just a "wide place in the road" as the gas station attendant had told Luke when he'd confirmed his travel route with him. Located on the Poor Fork of the Cumberland River, it wasn't terribly different from a lot of other towns that the Duke boy had seen in his travels.

It was easy to tell that this was a town in some distress, however. Immediately upon turning off of Route 119 onto a local street, Luke could see where emergency vehicles had blocked off one branch of the road, and it was a reasonable assumption that the mines lay in that direction. The oldest Duke cousin desperately wanted to crash his way past the roadblock and head immediately toward the mines, but he forced himself to stay calm. These cops weren't exactly Rosco and Enos; they'd likely catch him easily enough. And when they did, he'd be off to prison, once the Kentucky police did a background check on him. Whatever Bo's condition, getting himself hauled off to jail wouldn't help his family right now.

Instead, Luke tried to approach this town as he had all the others he'd passed through so far. Looking for the General Store, he found it quickly enough. There really was only the one main road, he was learning, with the mine at the east end, and the housing at the west. In between was where he found the people of the town, gathered in small groups and awaiting news of their loved ones.

Luke parked Tilly in front of the store, and went inside. He was surprised to find himself alone in there with the proprietor, a tired looking man with red rimmed eyes at the center of his dusty, round face. He looked at Luke warily.

"Ain't seen you here before, boy."

"No, sir," the Duke boy answered. "You ain't. I'm here looking for my cousin. About so tall," Luke's left hand gestured about four inches over his own head, "Blonde, blue eyes, nineteen. He'd be here with his friend, who's shorter, but real strong looking."

The man behind the counter barked out a harsh laugh. "Everybody's here after someone, today. An I ain't got no information on no one. They all look the same, you know, after they been in the mines." The man gave Luke the once over. "You ain't a miner."

"No, sir." It hadn't been a question, but Luke answered politely anyway. This conversation wasn't as friendly as others he'd had. Luke guessed he understood why, but the main thing he knew was that he didn't want to make an enemy of anyone who might be able to lead him to his cousin.

"Didn't think so. You ain't got that dark cast to yer skin. They all get it after awhile. You can wipe away only but so much of that dust, you know. It stays in yer hair, yer ears, the wrinkles on yer face. If I seen yer cousin, I wouldn't recognize him by the description you gave, but then, don't nobody look like that after they been in the mines. Blonde hair or black, after a day down there, you can't tell anymore. They all look the same covered in coal."

"Yes, sir," Luke answered, somewhat meekly. It wasn't in his usually confident nature to be put off this way by tough words, but this was Bo they were talking about. Bo, who stood out in any crowd. How could he look the same as every other man in the mines?

Softening a little bit, the proprietor asked, "He didn't grow up mining, neither, huh?"

"No sir, he couldn't have been here much more than maybe a week by now."

"I hope his foreman took good care of him, then. Some of 'em, the ones that didn't grow up here, won't teach 'em everything. They won't tell 'em about all the dangers, what to look out for. They don't want to scare 'em off. But if the foreman is from here, well they really do want to chase away anyone too green. They don't want 'em choosin' the mines unless they really ain't got any other options. And it's only the very best foremen that'll give 'em a tin of morphine."

"Morphine?" Luke asked, shocked and worried. Why would a foreman want one of his workers using morphine in the mines? Wasn't that the quickest way to assure that someone would get hurt?

The other man chuckled, but there was no joy in the laugh, only a certain resigned sadness. "You really don't know much about mining, do you?"

"Not a whole lot. I had an uncle in the business, but he died before I was born." Luke watched a knowing sympathy flash through the other man's eyes. "An' we had coal mines where I grew up, but they was sealed a real long time ago, so I only know the stories that got passed down. Don't reckon that I ever really listened to them, not real hard. It was just somethin' the older folks talked about from time to time."

The older man tittered again. Luke was starting to see that the humor in these parts was just a little darker than what you'd find in Hazzard. Back home, people laughed with mirth, not misery.

"Well, I ain't seen your cousin, and the less you know about some of this stuff, the better. You just go on now, get movin', unless you're gonna buy somethin'."

Luke considered protesting, but he could see that the older man wasn't going to say any more right now. If he couldn't either find Bo or prove to himself that the boy was not here by evening, he'd come back and try again. He thought this man meant well, but there was probably nothing more that Luke would get from him at this moment.

The discouraged young man headed out of the store on foot. There was no reason to move Tilly, after all, everything in this tiny town was within reasonable walking distance for a man who'd been a Marine on active duty just one year ago. Wandering through the clumps of people that were awaiting word on the missing men, Luke saw no sign of either Bo or Robby. As he looked, though, he came upon a woman that stood alone, and who actually met his eyes as he approached. Hoping for better luck with her, he described Bo and Robby, again asking for information about them.

"I don't know, son, whether they mighta been in there or not. There's more than one shift, you know, an' if they's new to town, they probably wasn't workin' when it blew. If they ain't wanderin' around here waitin' for news, you might want to go on up the hill. There's some roomin' houses at the top. If they's new, that's prob'ly where they'd be stayin'."

"Thank you, ma'am," Luke answered sincerely.

"If'n you find 'em, you take them away from here. If they's as young and strong as you are, they's got to be somethin' safer they can be doin' to earn a dime."

"Yes, ma'am, I plan to do that, thank you." Luke started to leave, then decided to ask just one more question. "Why would a foreman give one of his workers a tin of morphine?"

"Oh lord, son. You need to find your cousin and his friend, then leave here. This ain't no place for folks as innocent as you."

Luke could not ever remember a time that anyone had used to word_ 'innocent'_ to describe either him or Bo. Certainly they were not thought of that way back home. And he didn't think that former moonshiners were considered innocent in any part of Appalachia. But he didn't dispute the woman's words. Looking at the lines on her face, which did indeed, hold tiny flecks of coal dust, and the tiredness of her gray eyes, he suddenly did feel very innocent, and very young. This woman before him looked like she had already lived one hundred years, though her upright posture marked her as being more like thirty-five.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, finally taking his leave.

Climbing the hill, Luke noticed a lot of small cabins on either side of the road. Some were in far better shape than others, but none of them looked like something Luke would call a home. Though the farmhouse he'd grown up in wasn't very big, and the wind seemed to blow right through it in winter, there was a certain look about it that announced that a happy family lived inside, loving the house and the land upon which it stood. The buildings in this tiny mining town looked more like moonshiners' shacks; places to crash for a night while waiting for the mash to ferment. Still, there was some evidence that families actually lived here: a worn out toy in this dusty yard over here, a broken stroller on that porch over there. No one appeared to be in any of the dwellings right now, and Luke guessed they were either in the mine itself or part of the crowd down closer to the store. The Duke boy was starting to think he should just go back down there and look more closely for Bo, but since he'd already started heading this way, he decided to check the rooming houses first.

Ultimately the small buildings gave way to slightly larger ones. These still looked like one-family houses, however. Luke theorized that these were the homes of the foremen and managers; those, at least, who were earning enough to afford slightly more spacious living quarters. The yards here had more grass than dirt, unlike those of the smaller dwellings below. There were also such things are lace curtains in the windows of one and a flower garden in front of another, that indicated these to be more like homes than just places to spend the night.

At last, Luke came near the top of the hill where there were four two-story buildings that had to be the boarding houses. The buildings were not well cared for, and certainly would benefit from a few replaced boards and a healthy coat of paint. Laundry was strewn on the railings and windowsills, obviously left there to dry since there were no clotheslines. All of the residences showed evidence of long-gone fences around them, and only two were left with remnants of whitewashed gates. Luke had seen a lot in Vietnam, and what was here was vastly superior to the buildings that some of the locals had lived in there. However, this was the most depressing housing Luke had ever come across in the United States.

And then his misty blue eyes caught sight of the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The head was down and the shoulders slumped, but after a lifetime of living with him, Luke would have recognized his cousin anywhere.

He wanted to run to the porch where Bo was sitting and grab him into a hug, but something about the boy's defeated posture made Luke approach slowly, carefully, as if dealing with an injured animal. As he got to the shell of the gate that had once enclosed the tiny front yard, the older Duke boy stopped and regarded his little cousin, who still had not looked up to see him standing there. It was true, what the man in the General Store had told him. Mixed in with Bo's usually straw colored hair were matted dark strands, where it was clear the boy had not been able to wash all the coal dust out. Luke could also see that blackness had settled in the teen's ears, around his neck, and under the nails on his hands. If he hadn't known Bo so well, he might not have recognized this sad young man as the same cousin that had a habit of giggling when he was tickled, even now that he was now fully grown.

"Bo."

Indigo eyes came up at the soft sound of his name spoken by a familiar voice. In that second, all that had led to the younger boy being in this place was forgotten as he stood and stepped down to the ground, at the same time that Luke walked into the small clearing. Before he knew what was happening, Luke's arms were around him, holding him tight, and he buried his head in the older man's shoulder and cried.

The older boy wanted to offer comforting words, but found his own throat constricted. Instead, he just held onto his cousin, running one hand through coal stained hair. Luke decided that it would do neither of them any good if he became too emotional right now. What his younger cousin needed was strength, and Luke was going to give it to him. He swallowed until the tightness loosened.

"Shh, Bo. It's all right."

Bo knew that nothing was all right, but he was willing to let Luke say the words for now, and to try to believe them, just as he always had when they were younger. A few minutes later, tears exhausted for the moment, Bo lifted his head.

"You okay, little cousin?" Ever since Luke had come back from the Marines, Bo had made it clear that he didn't want to be referred to by that old nickname anymore, and Luke had tried hard not to use it, except when he was teasing the younger boy. Still, the way it came out just now took Bo back to when he really was smaller than Luke, and had actually been fond of being called that.

Bo wasn't okay, and he wasn't sure he ever would be again. But he knew the question pertained more to his physical well-being, for now, than his state of mind. And as he had been here in this boarding house, not anywhere near the mines, when the explosion had occurred, he was certainly not injured. So he answered his cousin.

"Yeah, Luke, I'm fine."

Luke's lighter eyes bored into Bo's deep blue, trying to see the truth in there. Satisfied that his cousin seemed to be relatively healthy, the older boy asked, "You live here?"

Bo's eyes were no longer willing to look back at Luke, having dropped down to stare at his own feet. He didn't live here, he lived at the Duke farm, in Hazzard County, Georgia. But he understood what his older cousin was asking of him, so he nodded his head.

Sliding an arm around Bo and turning him to face the door of the house, Luke said, "Show me where, Bo."

Nodding again, Bo silently led Luke to the room he'd been occupying this past week and a half. He was ashamed to show his cousin how he'd lived, but there was nothing else he could do.

Luke closed the door behind them and took in the tiny room for all of a second before turning his eyes back to Bo.

"Cuz," Luke said, placing both hands on the younger man's shoulders, "Was you in there, in the mine, when the explosion happened?"

Bo was shocked for a moment, then he realized that there was no way Luke could have known what the day since the blast had been like. He shook his head.

"No. There was a hundred and six men down there, but only fifteen was in the tunnel where the explosion was. The others came out right away, an' they took them all to the hospital in Whitesburg. Most of 'em ain't come back yet. They're staying with friends and family out of town. Ain't none of 'em seriously hurt, but they ain't in no hurry to get back here, neither. The other fifteen, well, the inspectors and rescuers don't think they could have survived. But, no, I wasn't down there when it happened."

Luke nodded, squinting into his cousin's face. There was something weighing very heavily on the boy, and Luke was trying to guess what it could be.

"You couldn'ta stopped it, Bo, if you'd been down there," Luke tried.

Bo shook his head as the tears started to fall again. "I know," he whispered.

"Cousin," Luke asked quietly, "What's eatin' at you?" As sobs began to rise from the blonde's throat once more, Luke pulled him close. "I need ya to talk to me, Bo. I can't help if I don't know what's hurting ya."

Bo knew there was nothing Luke could do, but he also knew that his ever-persistent cousin wouldn't stop asking until the younger boy answered his question. And Luke had a right to know, anyway.

"Robby," Bo swallowed, knowing he had to finish the sentence before he could fully give in to his misery. "Robby was in there, and he ain't come out." With that, the last of Bo's resistance was broken, and he allowed himself to lose awareness of what was going on around him. Luke was there, and that was all he needed to know right now.

As he held his sobbing cousin, Luke's eyes scanned the room again. It wasn't much, but the tiny cot in the corner looked more inviting than the cold ground upon which the older boy had been sleeping for the last several days. Never letting go of Bo, Luke pulled him down to sit on the bed with him. Luke kicked off his boots, and instructed Bo to do the same, watching as the younger boy mechanically did what he was told. Luke dragged his exhausted cousin down to lie on the bed next to him.

"It's okay, Bo," he soothed. "Let it out." This was something Jesse had tried to teach his boys long ago; that releasing emotions was better than bottling them up. Luke had learned the lesson well enough to pass on the advice, but not to follow it himself. He held onto his youngest cousin until the boy's tears became hiccups and yawns then finally turned into sleep.

Only after he was sure that Bo was deeply asleep, did Luke allow his own emotions to surface. Dampening his cousin's dirty hair with his tears, Luke was careful not to wake the younger boy.

"You scared me half to death, cuz," he whispered. "I thought I'd lost you. I don't know what my life would be like without you." Keeping as much control as he could, Luke bit back the sobs that wanted to come out. He wasn't one for tremendous displays of emotion, and he sure didn't want to wake his cousin now. The boy obviously needed sleep, but more than that, Luke was certain that what would be of the most help to Bo was if the retired Marine remained his normal steady-as-a-rock self. Still, he couldn't stop the next words, even if he'd wanted to.

"I love you, Bo."

Eventually regaining complete composure, Luke tightened his hold on the teenager, and with more affection than he had probably shown the boy in their entire lives, kissed the top of Bo's coal-stained head.

Finally, Luke gave in to his own exhaustion and joined his cousin in slumber.


	11. Lower Than a Lane Marker

_Hi all! Thanks to everyone that's been reading all along. For those who have been reviewing - it makes all the difference. I'll put some of these chapters up with a certain amount of trepidation, because I don't care for them for one reason or another. Then someone will point something out that they've related to, and it makes me see my own words in a different light. So thank you for all your kind words, and for the time you take to communicate with me. And... maybe the best part is what I learn about each of you!_

_Parts of this story are _loosely_ based on actual events. The town of Oven Fork, Kentucky, is real, but I have never been there, so my descriptions are my own. I'm sure it's actually a lovely place. Also, there is a certain amount of anachronism in this story, in that the experiences of miners were different in the 1970's than they were in the 1950's or the 1930's. I borrow from a bunch of different decades, however, and squeeze it all into 1976. _

_So don't take what I say as strict fact. My point is that mining was and continues to be a very dangerous profession. So, if you take anything from this story, take that. I mean no harm to anyone who earns their living through mining. If anything, I mean them well._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Dukes or any of the settings for this story. Although there are actual events contained herein, none of the characters are based on real people, either living or dead._

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Chapter 11 – Lower Than a Lane Marker

Stiff. That was the first thing Bo felt as he fought against consciousness. He never liked waking up, this much was true. Still, something in the back of his brain was telling him that today, in particular, he wanted to keep sleeping, maybe forever. And it ought to be easy to do so, he thought, as there was something very comforting about the sound and feel of the morning. But he was stiff, and there was nothing for it except shifting, and moving would force him out of the half-sleep he was in now. Besides, he realized, he really needed to visit the bathroom.

Squinting dark blue eyes open just a little bit, Bo winced as everything came back to him in the instant he saw his sleeping cousin's face. He wasn't ready to face Luke just yet, so he carefully slid himself out from under the arm that was thrown across him in a protective gesture. As he did so, his emotions were a mixture that even he could make neither heads nor tails of. At the forefront was confusion, and that was what he concentrated on as he headed down the hallway to the communal restroom. Most of the other feelings were too unpleasant for him to want to linger on right now.

Having done what he'd come to do, Bo took a quick look at himself in the piece of burnished steel that served as a mirror. Seeing what he must look like through his cousin's eyes, the blonde tried harder than he had since coming here to get really clean. The problem was, this bathroom did not lend itself to true cleansing. The water was cold and came only in thin streams from the single faucet in the sink. Actual bathing took place in a tub that Bo couldn't take the time to fill or scrub in right now. In fact, were it a little warmer, he probably would have chosen to bathe in the nearby river rather than this tiny, filthy room that was shared by ten men.

Using what little water there was, the boy scrubbed at his hands, face, and even soaked his hair, trying to get it clean. Looking at his reflection again, he realized that he'd had limited success. Now he looked like a wet, but still dirty, shadow of the Bo Duke that his cousin had come in search of.

That thought made Bo stop bothering with the attempts to remove coal dust from his body. His instinct said run: from this room, this building, this state, but mostly from Luke. As bad as he'd felt before leaving Hazzard, he felt twice as awful now. He'd failed in his attempt to provide for his family, that much was obvious to him. And that alone made facing Luke difficult, but didn't wholly account for why going back and seeing his cousin seemed utterly impossible right now. He'd have to sort through all of what was going on in his mind before he understood this desire to bolt, but he didn't have time to work it out just this minute.

Shaking the remaining droplets from his hands, face and hair, Bo forced himself to head down the hallway. _'Dukes don't run,'_ Jesse always said. He'd go back to his room and face Luke, for now. Maybe the time would come for them to go their separate ways, but not before he'd seen to it that his cousin was at least well rested and fed. Slipping quietly back into his room, Bo was surprised to see Luke sitting up and looking rather alarmed.

"Where'd you go, cuz? I woke up and you was gone." Luke was squinting at him, something the older boy generally did when he was trying to see not just what Bo's exterior looked like, but what was going on in his head as well.

"Sorry, Luke. I didn't mean to wake you," Bo turned away from his cousin, and busied himself looking for reasonably clean clothes. He hadn't taken much when he left Hazzard. He figured he wouldn't need much, and he was right. But he hadn't banked on seeing his family so soon, either. Not that Luke was picky about cleanliness; he wasn't. But Bo didn't want Luke to think he couldn't care for himself enough to keep clean, either.

"I was just using the bathroom. It's down the hall, last door on the left, if you need it."

"Thanks," Luke answered with some confusion. His cousin had seemed relieved enough to see him yesterday, but this morning it was almost as if Bo was wishing he was hundreds of miles away again. "Be right back."

"Take your time," Bo said to the retreating back of his older cousin.

With Luke out of sight again, Bo tried to focus. He knew his cousin would have questions for him, and he had plenty in return. He wasn't looking forward to the upcoming conversation, but Luke deserved the answers he'd seek. However, when the older boy was back faster than Bo expected, he found himself blurting out his own questions first.

"How'd you find me, Luke? And why?"

Luke's eyebrows went up, then very quickly back down as he tried to mask the hurt that his cousin's second question caused him.

"Did you really think I wouldn't come looking?"

Bo backpedaled; he knew his cousin well enough to realize that the question had somehow come out a little pointed, striking Luke in a painful way. Moving over slightly, he made room for the older boy to sit next to him on the bed. There was no place else to sit in the room, and that was one reason for the offer. The other was that, if Luke was sitting next to him, they wouldn't be directly facing one another. And sometimes it was easier to get the right words out when those bright blue eyes weren't trying to see right through to his soul.

Luke sat, Bo shrugged.

"I don't know, Luke, I guess I thought you would stay at the farm. I mean, how are Jesse and Daisy managing without you? And without the pickup? Or did you bring Daisy's car?"

"They're not doin' great without either of us, cousin," Luke answered gently, trying to bring back the warmer relationship they'd seemed to have last night. "They miss you, an' they're worried about you."

Despite his promises to himself to stay and face his older cousin, Bo jumped up at those words. He managed not to run from the room, but barely. Instead, he stepped as far away from Luke as the tiny room would allow, and spoke to the wall.

"I didn't mean to make y'all worry," he said.

Luke wanted to grab the younger boy by the shoulders and give him a shake, followed by a lecture about how, if you didn't want to make people worry, you didn't disappear like Bo had. But the sad angle at which Bo's head was tipped prevented any rough words for now. He was hurting already, and didn't need a lecture. Instead, Luke gave in to his other instinct, which was to stand and place a gentle hand on Bo's shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

"Yeah, well we did. Especially Jesse. He's got good reasons, you know."

Luke was surprised when Bo whirled at him, almost yelling.

"I know he's got good reasons, Luke. I know he's got good reasons to be worried about a lot of things, like how to keep the farm! And how to feed us all! I guess I thought I could help… I guess I was wrong…"

The last few words were said in absolute misery. Luke tried to pull him close, wanting to offer the younger boy comfort, just as he always had, their whole lives. Bo's moods were always more intense than Luke's, and over the years the older boy had learned that while Bo would feel lower than a lane marker when something went badly, physical affection and a joke restored his natural exuberance pretty quickly.

Bo stiffened in Luke's arms. This was new to the older cousin, who was used to the blonde sort of melting when touched this way. Heck, it was usually Luke whose body language indicated that affection was not wanted right now. The confused boy stepped back, putting both hands on Bo's shoulders, and trying to look into his eyes. Not getting anywhere with that, since the younger boy's eyes wouldn't meet his, Luke decided to answer the original question.

"I been lookin' for you since we realized you was gone, Bo. You'd said Kentucky, so I just… came here and started lookin'. Wasn't gettin' nowheres neither. I mighta looked for a year without findin' ya, but then I read about the explosion in yesterday's newspaper."

"It was in the paper?"

The older boy snorted. "It's national news, Bo."

"Oh," Bo answered, still a little surprised. "This is such a tiny place. I guess I thought nobody would care what happened here."

Nodding in understanding, Luke continued, "Anyways, I saw the story, and I really hoped you wasn't here, but somehow… I knew you was. I'm just glad you wasn't…" Luke trailed off, surprised at how close his emotions still were to the surface. Reminding himself that Bo needed a strong older cousin, not an emotional one, Luke took a step back, releasing the teenager. With a slight cough to clear his throat Luke added, "And I came in Tilly, so's Jesse and Daisy would still have the cars. Cooter's helpin' out at the farm."

"Cooter?" Bo actually smiled. It was just a small upward turn to his lips, but it meant everything to his cousin. Somewhere under all that sadness and coal dust was the Bo Duke he'd always known and loved. Luke wasn't sure yet what it would take to bring him back to stay, but he'd move heaven and earth, if he had to, to make it happen.

"Yeah, and apparently he ain't too good at it neither," Luke smiled back.

Bo's smile widened into a grin, then suddenly vanished. "Tilly? Where is she?" he asked, his moonshiner instincts kicking in. A 'shine runner's car was the most valuable tool of the trade. He always kept it hidden, and close, so nothing bad could happen to it.

"Ah, yeah," Luke realized Bo's concerns, and mirrored them himself. "Down in the lot by the store. Come on, cuz, we got to go down there and call home, anyways, let them know we're both all right. I shoulda done that last night, but…"

Bo wanted to resist, but he knew he couldn't. He'd known, when he left, that his family would worry. He'd expected to write to them next week, and enclose his first paycheck. There had never been a doubt in his mind that the first couple of weeks would be hard for them, not knowing where he was, but he figured that once he started sending them money, they'd understand his decision, and would recognize that he was a man now, and that he could take care of himself. But if the explosion was national news, his family would be frantic. He'd have to face them eventually; it might as well be right now.

"Come on, cuz," Luke said gently, seeing the younger boy's hesitation. "They'll be real glad to hear your voice."

Nodding, Bo followed his cousin out of the boarding house. As they started down the road towards the General Store, Luke slung an arm around Bo's shoulders. The younger boy accepted this physical contact, for now. The whirling of emotions that he'd had all morning suddenly had a singular focus: nervousness. He hadn't expected to have to face Jesse so soon, but there was nothing for it. His uncle would be fraught with worry, and he'd have to deal with the resulting wrath. His older cousin's arm across his back made it seem possible for him to do so.

Luke looked around the tiny mining community again. From their angle, coming down the hill, they could see the convoy of emergency vehicles, and the clearing just beyond. There were still people gathered around, though they were fewer now, and more spaced out. There was one clump down nearest the blockade, a few more in the vicinity of the store, and still others gathered near some of the cabins.

Halfway down to the store, Bo stopped cold.

"Oh my God, Luke!"

Alarmed, the older cousin stopped as well, looking at Bo intently.

"Luke, what about Katie Jane! I forgot all about her! She's got to be somewhere, waitin' for news. We got to go and keep her company, take care of her."

Luke nodded. In his worry about his own kin, he'd forgotten that Robby's reason for being here included a young wife – who was very likely a young widow, now.

"Right after we call home, Bo. We got to let them know you're all right, first."

"Right," Bo answered, speeding up to a trot. "Let's go then."

The boys found Tilly exactly as Luke had left her the night before, parked by the store. Rummaging around in the passenger compartment that had become sort of a one-person nest, and an untidy one at that, the older boy dug out Daisy's tip jar and its dwindling contents.

Offering the jar to Bo, Luke asked, "You wanna?"

"Uh, no, you," Bo answered, looking decidedly nervous again.

Luke very much wanted to reassure his cousin, but most of his attempts to do so this morning had failed. Besides, in this case, he was not sure it would be a totally honest statement to say everything would be all right, because he genuinely did not know how Jesse was going to react. His own nerves a little on edge, Luke made the call.

"Luke!" Jesse yelled, none too gently, upon hearing his older nephew's voice. "What do you mean waiting so long to call us, boy? We been waitin' around since yesterday to hear from you. Didn't I teach you better'n that?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Don't you give me any 'well, yeah, buts.' You shoulda called us yesterday, no matter what you found… or didn't find." Those last words clarified what Luke had already suspected; worry was the cause for Jesse's harshness. He could hear Daisy at the other end, trying to calm their uncle, but Luke knew he was the one with the information that would settle the old man right down. He also had a pretty good idea that Jesse was blustering because he was afraid to ask the question. Luke solved that problem for him.

"Uncle Jesse, I found him."

Luke heard two distinct inhalations, then his uncle asked, "Is he…?"

"He's all right, Jesse," Luke answered, watching his cousin closely, for at the moment, he seemed anything but all right. "He's right here."

"Well then why haven't you put him on the phone yet?"

Luke had to laugh at his uncle's gruff approach, even though he knew it wasn't meant to be funny. "Just hold on Uncle Jesse," and snagging his younger cousin around the waist, Luke pulled the boy so that they could both hear and talk to their uncle at the same time. Nudging Bo gently, his protective cousin whispered to him, "Go on…"

"Hi," Bo winced as his voice cracked for the first time in five years. He swallowed. "Hi, Uncle Jesse."

"Bo…" His uncle's voice wasn't any clearer than his own. "You all right, son?"

Realizing that the older man was referring to his physical condition, just as Luke had been the day before, Bo answered, "Yes, sir." He didn't suppose he wanted to talk about his mental state just now, anyway.

"That's good, Bo, that's real good. Where are you boys?"

Luke looked at Bo, who looked right back at him. Taking the tacit cue, Luke answered, "We're in a town called Oven Fork, and yes, it's at the Scotia Mine. The one with the explosion."

"Thank God you're both all right," Jesse said.

Clearly Daisy and Jesse were sharing a similar posture to that of the boys', because their female cousin spoke next.

"Bo, baby, I'm so glad you're all right." Before Bo was done grimacing at the nickname she'd called him, she asked the question that took the blonde's breath away again. "What about Robby?"

Again, a look passed between the male cousins, and this time Luke stayed silent.

"He's, uh, he's missing Daisy. He was on the day shift, and that's when it happened. They… don't have much hope for those guys that ain't come out yet… it'll be two days, today," Bo choked out.

"Oh, no," Daisy answered. "Oh, thank God you weren't with him."

"Yeah." Bo answered guiltily. He'd made them worry so much; he almost wished Jesse would yell at him the way he'd fussed at Luke at the beginning of the call.

Before anyone could say anything more, the operator interrupted with the information that unless someone deposited a lot of coins, this discussion was coming to an end. The family said hasty good byes, with the boys promising to be in touch again the next day.

Now that the call was over, Bo quickly shrugged out of Luke's hold. He didn't miss the hurt look that quickly passed over Luke's face before the older boy's neutral façade slipped back into place.

"Uh, I got to get to Katie Jane," he said, by way of explanation.

Noticing the way Bo had phrased that, Luke asked, "Do you want me to come?"

The blonde was torn. His older cousin was a comfort to him, he had to admit, even if Bo didn't exactly want him to be. He sort of wanted to handle things on his own, but then he thought of the young woman whose husband was missing. Luke was such a calming influence, which would probably be good for Katie Jane.

"I guess," Bo answered.

Bo led the way to the cabin that Robby had been living in with his new bride. They hadn't seen Katie Jane out with the rest of the crowd, so Bo assumed she'd be here, and he was proven right when her apprehensive voice responded to their knock.

"Hey, Katie Jane," Bo said quietly as he entered the dwelling, his cousin on his heels.

"Hey, Bo," she answered, then with some surprise, "Luke."

"Hi, Katie Jane," the older boy responded, not sure what else to say.

Both boys took in her red-rimmed and swollen eyes coupled with a fearful look. Bo moved towards her.

"I was so afraid…" she started, then Bo took her into his arms. "So afraid you were one of the company men, come to tell me… that he's not coming back." Safe in the blonde's arms, she broke down into sobs.


	12. Them That Needs Takin' Care Of

_Hey all, thanks for reading, and special thanks to those who have been reviewing._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Dukes or any of the settings for this story, and I am not making any money for what has been written here. Although some real events have been used, they have been changed for purposes of this story. None of the characters are based on any real people, either living or dead._

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Takin' Care of Them That Needs Takin' Care of**

All Daisy could think about was the confidence that Ken had projected the day before. Just as the Dukes were so certain that Bo was working at the Scotia Mine, the oldest Haines boy had been equally convinced that Robby was not. Now she had to tell him that not only had his little brother been working there, but he was one of the fifteen that were missing, while Bo was fine.

Driving slowly wouldn't take make what she had to say go away, but Daisy wasn't exactly speeding, either. Jesse was riding shotgun, unwilling to let his only girl do this alone. And, Daisy reasoned, it was good he'd come along. If it was only Ken, it would have been one thing. But the household also consisted of Steve, and the boys' mother and father. Daisy couldn't console all of them at once.

Still, she might have preferred to make the drive alone. She and Jesse had agreed that she would do the talking, at least initially, as the family had gotten to know her somewhat better than they knew Jesse. And since they'd be at the Haines farm in only a few more miles, the nervous woman wanted to take these couple of minutes to plan what she'd say. But her uncle was talking to her; interrupting her thoughts.

"Ain't never seen you drive so slow," he commented. "It ain't gonna get any easier just 'cause you delay it for five minutes Daisy-girl."

Usually the best behaved of the Duke cousins, Daisy surprised them both by yelling, "I know it ain't Uncle Jesse! But if you don't stop talking I can't think, and if I can't think, I don't know what I'm going to say when we get there!"

"Pull it over Daisy," the old man said gently.

"Aw, Uncle Jesse, I'm sorry. I didn't mean none of that."

"Pull it over!" her uncle insisted.

"Yes, sir," she answered, and miserably did as she was told.

"Come on," he said, "get out."

The two remaining Dukes in Hazzard met at the hood of the yellow Plymouth, where Jesse took a seat and invited his niece to do the same.

"Do you want me to do this, Daisy?" the white-haired man asked.

"No, sir, I really think I should," she answered softly. "I just don't know how, is all."

"Well, I ain't gonna lie to you, sweetheart. There ain't no easy way. But, it ain't somethin' you can figure out with this," Jesse said, gently laying a hand on Daisy's head. "What you need is to check what your heart has to say on the subject. It'll guide you. Not only that, it's the only thing that can. But to hear what it has to say, you have to quiet this," again, he touched her head, "or you'll never know what's in your heart. Now I'm gonna drive the rest of the way, and while you're sittin' in that there passenger seat, you just listen real hard to this," her uncle finished, gesturing towards her heart.

"Thank you, Uncle Jesse."

"An' remember, I'm right there with you, if you need me."

* * *

If he'd been nearly half a foot shorter and 75 pounds heavier, Luke would have sworn it was his Uncle Jesse that was taking care of Katie Jane, instead of his younger cousin. The poor girl was half out of her mind with worry, but still holding out hope that Robby would somehow come out of that tunnel alive. Ever the optimist himself, Bo was still somehow managing to be a realist with regard to Robby's chances, and he was very gently trying to get the newlywed to understand the unlikelihood that Robby would ever be back. 

The older Duke boy had taken up residence in a corner, leaning on the wall and just watching. Though Katie Jane had been aware of his presence when he'd walked in the door, both she and Bo were oblivious to him now, as they sat on the unfortunate couch that came with the cabin. This suited Luke just fine, since it gave him a rare opportunity to just relax and watch Bo. For all the years he'd lived with his cousin, he'd never seen him show such wisdom and compassion.

"I know he'll be comin' back. We was just talking last week about how whatever happened, he'd be all right, because he was so lookin' forward to havin' a little boy or girl. He wouldn't let nothin' stop him for watchin' our little one grow up," the young bride said, hopefully.

"If it's up to him, I know he'll come walkin' out of there. But, you know, Katie Jane, I ain't sure it's up to him."

Again, Luke had to marvel at his little cousin. He wouldn't have had the kind of patience that Bo was displaying right now. The older boy knew how to be sympathetic and even gentle when the circumstances required it, but Katie Jane's refusal to be realistic was not something his logical mind would have tolerated the way Bo was right now.

"But, we ain't even talked about names yet…" It was clear that the youngest Duke was finally making headway, as the woman broke down. She looked so tiny there, in the big blonde's arms. Though Luke had known her for probably fifteen years, he'd never taken the time to really look at Katie Jane before. She had always been too young for him to take seriously, but now, suddenly, it was as if she was older than he was, having already been married and probably widowed, as well. And she really was quite small, too small to be a mother. But somehow, this little girl with the dark brown curls and round face, still not grown out of her own baby fat, would very soon be raising a child. And alone. The thought made Luke shudder. Bo, however, stayed calm, though Luke's slight movement must have caught his eye.

"Luke," Bo said in the same sing-song voice he'd been using to keep Katie Jane calm, "Why don't you take Tilly on up the hill and maybe get yourself some breakfast. I think I'll be here awhile."

While the impressed older boy had been content to watch his cousin until now, he had to agree that breakfast was an excellent idea, but not just for himself. From the looks of her, Katie Jane hadn't been eating, and he knew he and Bo hadn't had a meal in a good 18 hours. Very quietly, he answered, "I'll tell you what, cuz. I still got enough money that I can go out and get us all something to eat and bring it back here."

"Okay, take your time. I'll see you in two hours, all right?"

Understanding that Bo wanted to spend some time alone with Katie Jane, Luke agreed. It was not all that unusual for the blonde to want a few hours with a pretty girl under normal circumstances, but Bo was not planning any of his usual moves, Luke knew. This was a totally selfless act on his younger cousin's part, and yet again, Luke was amazed.

* * *

In spite of her serious visage, Cooter had to laugh at Daisy. 

"What?" she asked, mildly annoyed.

"Aw, nothin' darlin'. It's just that – you're the only pretty gal that had ever looked at home here in this greasy garage."

"Well, I ought to look at home here, Cooter Davenport! I spend more time here than most of the guys in Hazzard do. Only Bo and Luke are here more than me. Besides, I bet I can install that new alternator faster'n you can."

"Whoa there, Daisy-girl, you ain't gotta prove it. I know you can. But I'll get it done, if you just give me a minute, then I can show you the thing I been promisin' you I would."

The mechanic had planned to head over to the Duke farm when he got off work, but Daisy had beaten him to the punch by showing up at the garage in the early afternoon. The look on her face when she got there was something that the family friend had never seen in all the years he'd known the beautiful young woman. It was somewhere between happy and sad, but also, somehow, it projected a certain peacefulness. Not knowing what to make of her sudden arrival or the emotions written on her face, Cooter had immediately asked after her cousins. They were the primary reason he'd wanted to go to the farm, anyway.

"That's what I came to tell you, Cooter! We heard from them, both of them! And Bo's all right," she answered with a smile that, while beautiful, never seemed to reach her eyes.

"They on their way home?" The second half of why Cooter had wanted to see her had been nagging at him, and though he really did want the boys to come home quickly, he wondered whether they should. There had been a third reason he'd planned to visit the Dukes, but that would have to wait until he'd taken care of the first two.

"Naw, Cooter, that's the bad part. Bo and Robby really was workin' at that mine where there was the explosion. Bo wasn't in there, but Robby was. He ain't come out yet. I just come back a little while ago from the Haines farm… me and Jesse went to tell them."

Suddenly the mixed emotions she's been projecting made perfect sense to the family friend. "How'd they take it?"

"Oh, you know," she'd said, some tears sparkling in her eyes, "About how you would expect. They ain't given up hope. An' like us, they can't send any more family up after him, so they're counting on Bo and Luke to stay up there for now. An' of course the boys don't know that yet, and won't, until they call us tomorrow."

"Seems like it might be a good thing if those boys stayed up there forever, from what I heard this mornin'."

Tears still unshed, Daisy's dark eyes squinted. "Tell me, Cooter."

With an arm around her waist, the mechanic had showed her into the garage, seating her on a stool, while he took his customary position hovering over the intestines of a green Ford Grenada. It wasn't that he was under strict deadline to replace the alternator in this particular vehicle, but so long as he seemed to be working while Daisy was sitting chatting with him, all would appear normal, and the Hazzard law would probably leave them alone for awhile. After a few minutes of light chatter, they got back down to business.

"I was over at the courthouse this morning, to see Rosco about the money the Sheriff's Department owes me for replacin' that door he left back there in Harper's Woods," Cooter snickered, and Daisy joined him. It was typical of Rosco to forget to close his door in his hurry to catch fleeing suspects, which is this case had consisted of three children on bicycles whose only crime had been sticking out their tongues at the sheriff. They'd hopped on their bikes and sped off into the woods, while Rosco had jumped into his car and followed. He didn't get more than about thirty feet before, with a crunch of metal and a pop of shattered glass, he realized that he'd scuffed yet another Hazzard County Sheriff's car. Within a couple of hours, the children he'd been chasing had spread the story around Hazzard, thwarting all attempts on Rosco's part to tell it as a thrilling chase after dangerous felons.

"Anyway, Rosco's not in the squad room when I get there, so I head for his office. Then I hear his voice comin' from Boss Hogg's office, so you know, I figure I'll just wait quietly for the two of them to finish."

"Uh huh," Daisy said, eyes twinkling. "An' tell me, sugar, did your 'waiting quietly' happen to take place with your ear pressed against Boss's door?"

Cooter tried his best to look hurt. "Naw, nothin' like that Daisy. My ear never touched his door." The frown grew into a devilish grin, "See, there was this glass on Enos' desk. _That_ touched the door. My ear only touched the glass."

Daisy's grin was just as wide as her friend's, though twice as pretty. The sight of it was enough to make the mechanic's whole week better. He hadn't realized just how little he'd seen of it recently, until just now.

"Anyways, Boss is tellin' Rosco that them Duke boys has broke probation, he's sure of it, and that they're off in the hills of Tennessee makin' and sellin' shine. He tells Rosco it's his beholden duty to catch the boys comin' back into Hazzard, so's he can prove they've been out."

Daisy nodded knowingly. "Uncle Jesse said Boss was getting suspicious about the boys. I guess it don't really surprise me that Boss'd want Rosco to catch 'em. We can't let that happen, though."

"Yeah, well, we're gonna have to be careful, 'cause Boss told Rosco to call in some reinforcements. He's gonna deputize the Ledbetter brothers, an' anyone else that needs a few bucks. Some of 'em been runnin' shine longer'n you all, so you know they know all those back roads, plus they can drive."

Daisy frowned. "If Luke was here, he'd come up with a plan to get them back into Georgia."

"If Luke was here, you wouldn't need no plan, 'cause if he was here, he wouldn'ta broke probation."

"I'm serious, Cooter," Daisy scolded.

With a chuckle, the mechanic admitted, "I know you are, sweetheart. And I got somethin' to show you. It ain't as good as a plan of old Luke's, but it's a start." Grabbing a greasy rag to wipe his hands, he led Daisy to the back door, and showed her the thing he'd been wanting her to see all along.

* * *

Even dragging his feet as much as he possibly could, Luke was unable to make his errands last for the two hours Bo had requested. He'd picked up Tilly and gone over to the nearby town of Eolia for some breakfast foods, then come back to Oven Fork. The part of the road at the bottom of the hill was still blocked, and a good number of people were gathered in various locations, awaiting news. After parking Tilly up by the boarding house, and unloading some of his belongings into Bo's tiny room, he'd grabbed the groceries and started to head back down to Katie Jane's. Checking his pocket watch, Luke realized he still had a half hour to kill. Walking past the small cabin that the newlyweds had occupied, the bored Duke boy just kept on going. As he approached the General Store, he once again found himself looking into tired, gray eyes. 

"Hello, son," greeted the woman who'd helped him the day before. "I guess you found your cousin. I saw you walkin' around with him earlier. The two of you favor."

"Huh?" Luke answered, manners forgotten in the attempt to understand the dialect so similar to his own, yet frequently using words in slightly different ways.

Passing her hand through the air in front of her face, the woman said, "You look alike. Not exactly, but enough to tell you're kin."

"Oh, yeah." Luke himself never saw any resemblance, but enough people had suggested it over his lifetime that he just accepted it by now.

"So why ain't you left yet? I tol' you, if'n you found them, to git." Though the words themselves were harsh, the tone was motherly.

"Well, that's just it. I found my cousin, but his friend… was in there," Luke said, unnecessarily gesturing towards the mine. "His new bride, only been married a little over a week, is up there with my cousin, waitin' for news.

The woman winced in sympathy. "I'm sorry, son."

Looking at her again, Luke was sure she couldn't be more than maybe fifteen years older than him. The term 'son' seemed inappropriate.

"Call me Luke," he said, offering his hand.

"Sarah," she answered, giving his hand a firm shake. "How old is the bride?"

"Just eighteen."

"Well then, Luke, she's gonna need a friend. You take me to her, and introduce us. I ain't doin' anybody no good standin' around here waitin'."

Again trying to determine her age, Luke began to notice little details about Sarah, like the fact that her hair was actually a light brown, though it somehow seemed gray at first glance. And peeking out from the grit that stained her face was a number of freckles. He could imagine her at about sixteen, being much like the girls he'd met in other mining towns, the ones that were looking at him as if he might just be their prince, come to take them away to some other life.

"Ain't you waitin' for news, too, ma'am – I mean Sarah? Is there someone… like maybe your husband, that you're waitin' for?"

"Pshaw, ain't never married. Me, I'm the single girl turned old maid. Now I'm part nurse, part den mother, sometime cook, and even midwife. I earn my keep takin' care of them that needs takin' care of. My daddy owned the house I live in, unlike most people around here. My family is the ones once owned this land, and sold it to the coal company in the first place. They kept the house and it got passed down, 'til now it's just me livin' there. I couldn't leave here if I wanted to. But I don't want to anyways. I'm needed here. Cain't be sure anyone else would have any use for me. Besides, I love the land. My family was farmers, an' even though we ain't farmed in generations, it stays in the blood."

Luke nodded; he knew all about farming in the blood. It was the reason he knew his own family would find a way to keep their land, despite the fact that they'd had to give up 'shine making, and even though their latest endeavor wasn't working out very well, either.

"Well then, let's go. If there was ever anyone who needed you, I think it would be Katie Jane."


	13. I Wanna Go Home

_Well, y'all know how I've been saying that this story incorporates some real events, but what I have written here is not totally factual? Well, if there was ever a chapter to remember that with, it's this one. Some of the things that happen here are real. Most are not, and still others are changed to make the story more dramatic._

_Thanks to those who have been sticking with me through this story. And special thanks to those who take the time to review. You all are the best!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Dukes or any of the settings for this story. Although some of the events in this story really happened, none of the characters are based on real people either living or dead._

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Chapter 13 – I Wanna Go Home

Afterwards, Bo could never be sure which had awoken him: the siren itself, or Luke's response.

The night had been awkward to begin with. Sarah was very firm with the boys. Saying she would stay with Katie Jane, she sent them back up the hill for the evening. Luke had been willing, seeing as Katie Jane would be well taken care of. Bo had resisted as long as he could, but the older woman, though she was a good foot shorter than the blonde, had presented herself as a formidable foe. He'd been forced to relent and go back to the boarding house with his cousin.

"You know, Bo, we ain't talked about goin' home yet," Luke started, as soon as they were in the blonde's rented room.

"Luke! We can't go until we know about Robby. I came here with him and Katie Jane, an' I ain't gonna leave her here alone!"

Luke's hands were up and his voice was gentle. "Easy, Bo. I ain't suggestin' we go right now. But we need to decide what to tell Jesse and Daisy in the mornin'."

The younger boy usually responded to Luke's attempts to calm him, but tonight it only grated on his already well worn nerves.

"Listen, Luke, I'm really tired, okay? We can talk about that in the mornin'." Bo knew he was just putting things off, and that his cousin wouldn't give up. He was also pretty sure he'd feel the same way the next day as he felt right now.

"Cousin," the older boy tried again, still speaking softly.

"Luke! I said I don't wanna talk tonight!" Bo winced a little at the obvious hurt on Luke's face, but he had tried to warn the brunette to leave him alone for the time being.

"All right. We'll talk in the mornin' then," Luke had said, spreading his sleeping bag on the floor.

Bo felt terribly torn. He wanted Luke to leave him alone, and let him work things out for himself. He knew he had responsibilities back in Hazzard; he didn't need his older cousin reminding him of that. But from what Luke had told him, Jesse, Daisy and Cooter had the farm under reasonable control for now.

He also had things to take care of here in Oven Fork. He'd come here with Robby and Katie Jane. It was never his intention to end up having to take care of either of his friends, but now that Robby was missing, there was no way he could leave until they knew his fate. He owed the newlyweds that much.

But it wasn't just the logical dilemma that was upsetting the teenager. It was also that, while he wished Luke would leave him alone, he also wanted the older boy close to him. Even he was not completely sure why he was so adamant about pushing his protective cousin away, especially right this minute, when he really could stand some comfort.

His eyes wide, trying to hold back tears, Bo sat on the cot and said, "Luke? You don't gotta sleep on the floor. The bed's more comfortable, even if it is a little small."

The older boy squinted at him, clearly not sure how to take the mood changes in the youngster.

"You sure, Bo?"

The blonde just nodded, not trusting his voice. Luke pulled himself up to sit next to the younger boy, lightly draping an arm around his shoulders. As those shoulders started to shake with the force of Bo's emotions, Luke pulled him close and, much like the day before, the boys simply kicked off their boots and laid down to sleep. It was early yet, but they were farm boys, used to going to bed with the blue jays and rising with the rooster.

They were soundly asleep when the siren sounded at 11:30 PM.

_He knew better than to fall into a deep sleep like that. They'd been taught to doze lightly, with their weapons at the ready by their sides. But he'd been out cold, and now that the warning siren was sounding, he was caught totally unprepared. Giving up on finding his weapon, Sgt. Duke literally rolled out of bed and found a solid wall to shelter at least one side of his men. Letting his platoon know he had them partially covered, but that he needed more information, he squatted low and called out, "Left flank!"_

"Luke!" Bo cried, in alarm. He'd seen his cousin respond strangely to loud noises before, but the veteran Marine had never done anything more than jump, or whirl around quickly to locate the sound. Now the older boy was plastered against the wall, shouting commands to a corps that only he could see.

Anxious blue eyes swept in Bo's direction.

"What're you doing here? Get down!"

Though he was frightened, the younger boy did his best to stay calm. "Luke! It's all right. This ain't the war." The blonde stepped closer, touching the retired Marine's arm. "It's okay."

Shaking Bo off, then standing and scrubbing his hands across his face, Luke nodded. Now that he was coming fully awake, he understood that Bo was right. He wasn't in Vietnam. He was just putting together the pieces of where they really were, when the siren blasted again, giving him another burst of adrenaline.

"What's that siren for, Bo?"

The blonde shook his head. "It means somethin' else went wrong down there in the mines. It's like a fire alarm; it gets the rescuers down there quick and tells the rest of us to stay out of the way."

"What else could be goin' on down there?"

"I don't know, but there's only one way to find out. You all right? You want to stay here or come with me?"

The older boy's response was to pull on his boots as the two of them stumbled out of the room. A few other men that Luke had not seen before were doing the same sort of half dressing half-walking that the Dukes were, as they all headed out into the chilly night.

It was obvious that everyone in the tiny town was outside by now, and most of them had gathered as close to the emergency vehicles as possible without getting in the way of whatever it was they were trying to do down there. Bo and Luke, however, never got that far, since they ran into Sarah and Katie Jane about halfway down. The older woman ushered them all into Katie Jane's temporary home.

In the relative quiet of the cabin, it was clear that both women were upset, though handling their emotions in completely different ways. Sarah's were buried in a nonstop buzz of activity, as she hustled to the kitchenette to make coffee. Katie Jane, on the other hand, seemed to be having trouble holding herself upright. Bo was helping her with that, and settling her on the sofa. The women obviously knew something that the cousins did not, and while Bo seemed content to concentrate on trying to bring some peace to Katie Jane, Luke needed to know the cause of her tears.

He followed the self-appointed 'den mother' into the narrow kitchenette, and found that, despite the fact that there were only two of them occupying about three feet of space, he couldn't seem to get her attention. Finally, he grabbed her elbow, stilling her, and forcing her to look up at him.

"Sarah, what happened?"

"Coffee, Luke?" she asked, as if she hadn't heard him. This worried the older boy more than Katie Jane's tears.

"Sarah," he said again, looking into her eyes intently, "What happened?"

For a brief moment, the older woman's gray eyes grew watery, but with a blink, they returned to clarity. She sighed, forced to give in and deal with things sooner than she'd wanted to.

"Another explosion. The rescuers and inspectors are trapped. Believed dead. They're gonna seal the mine." She looked so fragile for a moment, that the Duke boy almost hugged her. Before he could, she'd turned away and started to pour the coffee. Forcing two mugs into Luke's hands, she sent him to Bo and Katie Jane, while she followed with mugs for herself and the brunette.

Ignoring the manners he'd been taught long ago, the older Duke boy settled himself on the small table, directly across from Katie Jane, so close that their knees were touching. Putting the coffee down, Luke kept his eyes on his younger cousin, looking to see if he'd heard what Sarah had said. The tears in those midnight eyes indicated that he had. Before speaking to Katie Jane, Luke laid a hand on the other boy's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. It was particularly hard, the first time that one of your friends died. Though Bo had not witnessed the actual death, Luke knew the blonde understood, all too well, the darkness and the fear. This knowledge was instinctive to Luke; he'd felt exactly the same way every time a member of his platoon had been killed, whether he'd been with them or not. Seeing that the teenager was going to hold himself together, however, Luke turned to Katie Jane. She was now officially bereaved, and it was only appropriate that he, and not just his cousin, try to offer her some consolation.

"Katie Jane." He cleared his throat and tried again. No matter the circumstances, this kind of thing never got any easier. "Katie Jane, I'm real sorry."

The girl nodded, and wiped at her eyes. Finally, very quietly, she spoke. "Thank you, Luke, I appreciate that."

"He loved you, you know," Bo added.

"I do know that. An' I loved him. An' I want to go home, and raise his baby back in Hazzard."

"Right, sweetheart," Bo said, "We can go after we make arrangements."

Showing a grit she'd lacked up until now, but that Luke suspected she'd had in her all along, Katie Jane answered, "What arrangements? They're gonna seal the mines, with Robby still in there. Ain't no arrangements to be made." The young woman swallowed, refusing to cry any more. "I wanna go home, an' I wanna leave right now."

Luke looked at Bo, then back to Katie Jane.

"You try to sleep for now, darlin'. We can go home in the mornin' if you still want to go then."

The young woman nodded, again rubbing at her eyes. "I'm still gonna want to. But I'll let you boys sleep so we can drive safe."

"That's a girl," Luke said, squeezing her knee, then getting up and walking back to the kitchenette to give his cousin a little time with her. Sarah joined him there.

"A girl as young as that, with child, too, oughtn't have to go through this," she whispered to Luke. "So sweet and innocent."

Luke chuckled, just the slightest bit. "Aw, Sarah, we Hazzardites ain't as innocent as you think. Katie Jane's hurtin' right now, but she's tough. She's the child of a moonshiner, just like me and Bo. We can handle ourselves."

"You're moonshiners?" Sarah was genuinely impressed.

"Not anymore. Me and Bo got caught on a 'shine run last summer. But yeah, we was."

"I guess that means you ain't got any with you then."

"No, ma'am," Luke answered with a smirk.

"Dang, ain't nothin' would have made this coffee work better than a shot of moonshine."

"You know it, Sarah." Without thinking, the Duke boy put his arm around his new friend, and was surprised when she actually leaned against him for a minute.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

She stood back away from him at that. "Of course I am. Just tired is all. Time we all went back to bed, if'n y'all're leavin' in the mornin'.

After a feisty exchange between the 'den mother' and the younger Duke boy, it was determined that Bo and Luke would spend the night in the cabin, but in the living room. Sarah and Katie Jane retreated to the tiny bedroom, leaving the boys alone.

"You all right, Bo?" Luke asked, taking off his boots for the second time that night, and settling himself in only chair in the room.

"Yeah," Bo said, kicking off his own footwear and sprawling out on the sofa, which was about a foot and a half too short for his long frame. With one long arm, he reached out and snapped off the light.

"Bo?"

"What, Luke?" The blonde was getting frustrated with his cousin again, wishing the older boy would just leave him alone.

"I'm sorry about Robby."

Maybe it was easier in the dark. Or maybe it was that Luke had realized what no one else had – that Bo had lost someone too. Whatever it was, for the moment the younger boy's annoyance melted away, and he whispered, "Thanks, cuz."

Sensing that for now it would be accepted, Luke reached out his left arm and grabbed onto Bo's right hand, which was extended off the sofa by a good two feet anyway. With a squeeze, he whispered, "Good night, Bo."

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Okay, I had to add a second note down here to tell you that in the real Scotia Mine disaster, all of the dead were found and recovered before they sealed the mines. In reality, they did not leave anyone down there. I changed that for purposes of my story, so if you're going to get mad at anyone, make sure it is me, and not the coal company or the heroic rescuers. _


	14. Another Unhappy Mission

_Hi all - I'll spare you the long notes this time. To those who have been reading, thanks for sticking with me, and to those who have been reviewing - you guys are the best!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Dukes of Hazzard nor any of the settings for this story. Although real events are contained herein, none of the characters are based on real people, either living or dead._

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Chapter 14 – Another Unhappy Mission

True to her word, the young widow was ready to leave at the crack of dawn on the next morning. After a quick breakfast, the Dukes and their friend packed Tilly with their meager belongings, and turned Luke's one-person nest into a passenger vehicle once again. While Bo and Katie Jane arranged themselves into the back of the black Ford, Luke turned to the woman who'd been so helpful to them.

"Sarah," he began, not sure how to thank her for all that she'd done for them. Before he could come up with the words, the woman wolf-whistled, low.

"That's quite a car. Ain't seen one of those in a while," she said with a wink. "You sure you ain't got nothing 'special' in the trunk?"

Despite his desire to be serious, Luke had to chuckle. "Me an' Bo's definitely retired, Sarah. But our Uncle Jesse, he made prime stuff. You'da appreciated it."

"No doubt about that. You boys take care, and make sure that little lady gets home safe, you hear?"

"Sarah," Luke grabbed her elbow before she could walk away. "Thank you. For takin' care of Katie Jane, and us, but mostly for helpin' me find Bo."

"They're good kids, and you are, too, Luke," she answered, looking away from him.

"Sarah," the older Duke boy tried again, but the woman wouldn't face him. He wasn't sure how she'd take it, but if she wouldn't let him use words, he'd have to convey how he felt in another way. He pulled on the bony elbow that he still held in his hand until the older woman was in his arms.

"Sarah, I ain't sure we would have managed without you. You take care of yourself, you hear?" Luke was sure he heard a slight sniffle, but when he stepped back to look at her, the woman just smiled at him.

"You just git goin', Luke Duke. There's other people here needs me," the last words wavered, as if she was unsure about that.

"Yeah, they do, Sarah. They might not know it yet, but when they figure it out, you're not gonna get a minute's rest. So you go home and get some sleep now, because by this afternoon, you'll be so busy, you'll forget we was even here."

"Right," she answered turning away and starting back up the hill. Before she could get too far, Luke's voice stopped her one more time.

"You can always find me at General Delivery, Hazzard, Georgia," he said. "Where can I reach you at?"

"Oh, son," she answered, reverting to what she'd called him before she knew his name, "Oven Fork's tiny. My last name's Martin. General Delivery will get to me, just like it will to you."

* * *

Tennessee looked somehow different to Bo, now that he'd been through it once. On the way up, it had seemed foreign and even ugly. Now that he understood that some of the mountains were, in fact, ailing, thanks to strip mining, he felt more pity than repulsion. And those hills that had been spared looked more like home to him than anything had in nearly two weeks now. 

He looked at the young girl who was asleep in his arms. They hadn't exactly been friends before this trip, though of course they'd gone to school together their whole lives. Now he felt an affection for her that surprised him. He knew she was hurting, and so was he. Though he realized that his older cousin had experiences which allowed him to relate to what Bo felt, the only one going through the exact same emotions was Katie Jane. That little fact created a bond between the two them that Bo had never felt for anyone outside of his family before.

Thoughts of his family made him raise his eyes to the rearview mirror, meeting Luke's lighter blue. As his cousin returned his concentration to the road, Bo glanced at his pocket watch.

"It's about ten of eleven, cuz," he supplied.

"All right, I'll find us a place. You might as well wake her up; we should eat."

"Right."

In a few moments, they were outside yet another gas station, crowded around the payphone. Luke checked the contents of Daisy's tip jar. He figured they had enough for a few phone calls and lunch as well. They ought to be back home by dinner time, so they could splurge.

He called the farm first, since his uncle and female cousin expected to hear from him at this time every morning. Apparently the second blast at the Scotia Mine had made as much news as the first, because the first thing their uncle said to him was, "Thank God, you boys is all right."

"We're fine, Jesse, and on our way home. With Katie Jane." He glanced over at his cousin and the girl, a couple of feet away from him, and huddled together.

"So, what we heard is true, then. No one survived."

"No, sir."

"You give that little girl our condolences, you hear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Now, Luke, you listen to me. You can't come home."

"What? Now hold on Jesse…"

"Boy! Listen to me. Boss is suspicious about where you boys is. He's got Rosco tryin' to catch you crossin' back into Hazzard. So you can't come back; not 'til we figure out how to get you past ol' Rosco."

Luke sighed. He'd been looking forward to being home, and trying to get everything back to normal. "Jesse, he can't block but one road at a time. You just figure out where he is, and we'll come in another way."

"It ain't that simple. He's got hisself a posse, lookin' for you. So you boys just stay away one more night while we work this out."

"Yes, sir," Luke said, meeting his cousin's eyes, and looking again at the young girl next to him. She was with child, he reminded himself.

As the operator interrupted them once again, Luke declined to add more coins. Their supply was going to have to last longer than he'd thought only moments before. He said a hasty good bye to his uncle, then turned to explain their situation to the other two members of his party.

* * *

"Pyow, pyow!" This was where Enos loved to come and be alone: the junkyard. He couldn't have explained it to his boss, and he'd never have to explain it to his friends. The former would never understand, and the latter understood instinctively. Though his friends would not exactly approve of his current activity. 

For now, the mousy haired deputy was in heaven, though. Cars everywhere, and he did love fast cars. The one thing he missed about running moonshine for his father was driving with a certain recklessness that he could not afford now that he was a sworn officer of the law. But also, this was a place to act out his lifelong fantasies, the ones of being a crack-shot cop.

"Pyow!" He'd just used his finger to blow out the tires of that old mustang over there. "Pyow, pyow!" Two imaginary criminals ducked to the ground in surrender. "Pyow!" His boss would be so proud of him!

"Enos!" the radio of his cruiser interrupted him, and the very man he'd just imagined patting him on the back sounded somewhat annoyed with him. "Deputy Strate, what's your 20?"

"Right here, Sheriff Coltrane!" The deputy announced.

"Enos, you dipstick. How can I find you if I don't know where here is?"

The deputy giggled. "Oh, right Sheriff. I'm in the junkyard."

"Ijit! Well what are you doin' there? No, never mind. I need you to meet me at speed trap number three."

"10-4, Sheriff! Uh, number three, is that the one on Swamp Maple Road?"

"Enos! Gijit! Don't be sayin', gij, don't be tellin' everyone where our speed traps are!"

"Everybody knows already, Sheriff! I'm on my way," and with the energy of a man born to please, the deputy jumped into his patrol car and sped to the rendezvous.

* * *

For the second time in as many days, the white haired man and his niece had an unhappy mission. This time they had remained silent on the trip, both concentrating on what was coming. They knew that the Haines patriarch would have to be called home from work, but they couldn't delay until he got home, or both of Robby's brothers would be at work. So they'd gone ahead to see the family, worrying about how to break the news. 

The Dukes had spent their energies the wrong way, however. When they got there, they found the family already in mourning. They'd seen the news, and later had received a very brief call from Katie Jane and Bo. It would only be a matter of time before other townsfolk would arrive here; the senior Haines' absence from work would lead to his shiftmates spreading the word as soon as they were dismissed for the day at three.

Jesse stayed as long as he could; with the boys away there was too much to do at the farm. And even Cooter had been slacking off in his help lately, saying there was a project at work that required more of his attention these days. So the white haired man slipped back to the farm, leaving Daisy to spend a few hours with the family she'd come to know quite well. He'd have to return for her by 2:30, to take her to work, but at least he'd manage to care for the animals in the meantime.

His main regret was that another day would pass before he could get back to the mill and see Ridge Owens. Although there was so much going on with his nephews and the Haines family, he still had certain other obligations to fulfill. Tomorrow, he promised himself, God willing and the creek didn't rise, he'd go and sit the mill owner down for a long discussion.

Her uncle gone, Daisy did her best to console the family. Mr. Haines was awfully quiet, and she worried about him, but his wife shooed her away.

"You and Ken go outside and get some fresh air," she suggested. I'll look after these two."

Sitting on the porch next to him, Daisy could only marvel how much this boy had grown in the two years since she'd dated him. He'd always been serious, but now he seemed terribly worldly and wise. She wasn't sure whether that was just the way he'd matured, or if the recent events in his family had brought this quality out. It was very attractive to her, but even as that thought passed through her mind, she chastised herself. They'd gotten close again, it was true. But this was no time to be getting romantic.

"I'm sorry," she said, for what felt like the millionth time.

"I know," Ken answered, but somehow this gave Daisy no relief. Not that she should be the one needing consolation here, she knew that. But her sorrow was more than just sympathy. It involved guilt. It was easier, in some ways, when both Bo and Robby were just missing. Now that one was found, and the other dead, Daisy realized that they no longer shared the exact same feelings. She put an arm around Ken's shoulders.

"I wish… things had turned out differently," she said lamely. Her friend just nodded, an act which made the tears that had been gathering in his eyes fall and leave wet stains on his jeans. Daisy's other arm reached around him and she pulled him close.


	15. An Unbalanced Equation

_Hey all! Well, the site hasn't been my friend (or yours!) lately, but I'm hoping it'll behave itself from here on. For those who worked so hard to not only read, but also review the last chapter, I thank you. I know how busy you all are, so the fact that you took the time to keep clicking until it worked means a lot to me._

_I know I say this a lot, but I need to say it again: I mean no harm to mining companies or those who have earned or continue to earn their living through mining. This story presents only one point of view – mine._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Dukes nor the settings for this story. Although some of the events presented in earlier chapters actually did occur, none of the characters in this story is based on any real people, either living or dead._

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Chapter 15 – An Unbalanced Equation

Bo found himself cast aside for a mess kit and some cans of Dinty Moore beef stew. For the past two days, his thoughts had been almost exclusively about the young woman that Robby had married and brought with him to Kentucky. Bo was used to being distracted by girls, but not quite in this way. He'd always thought of them as a means to have fun, and the more girls, the more fun it was. Getting serious with one girl would really cut down on the pleasures to be had.

He'd never thought much about Katie Jane Johnson before. She was quiet, not really the type to be a cheerleader or attend many of the parties thrown by the more raucous students at Hazzard High. She was pretty enough, though you kind of had to look hard to see it through the hair that shielded her small features. And she was awfully serious, something that would have scared a school-aged Bo Duke half to death, had she turned her attentions on him. Now that they'd spent so much time together, she seemed a lot less frightening, and more like a kindred spirit. Even the child she carried didn't terrify the blonde like it would have only a few weeks before.

He'd been worried when Luke told them that they could not go back to Hazzard that night. Remembering the young woman's response to the suggestion of camping when they'd driven north, and knowing just how upset and frightened she must be, but also realizing that they had no real alternative, Bo had braced himself for the worst.

As soon as they'd picked their spot to spend the night, Katie Jane had made herself useful, collecting firewood and building a fire circle while Bo and Luke pitched the pup tent that she would sleep in, then a second one for themselves. And when Bo had suggested she sit and rest while he and Luke made dinner, she'd shooed him away, saying that cooking was just the distraction she wanted. She hadn't spoken to him since, other than to request this or that utensil. In fact, Katie Jane seemed more at ease with Luke just now, chatting about cooking over the open fire and how wood smoke covered a multitude sins when it came to canned foods.

The younger Duke boy recognized what he was feeling as jealousy. The only thing he didn't know was which he resented more: his cousin or the pots and pans.

* * *

Daisy wasn't taking any sass from the Boar's Nest customers. She'd had a hard enough few days, and she didn't need a crazy night. Somehow she had become the very impersonation of her uncle that evening, and her attitude forced otherwise rowdy men to quietly order their drinks, then slide off to tables and consume them over very demure conversations. The roadhouse resembled a library more than its usual wild self. Even Al, the bartender who'd worked many a night with Daisy and knew her well, didn't dare do anything other than pour exactly what she asked him to, and quickly. 

An already nervous Deputy Enos Strate walked into the near-silence and stopped, studying the crowd. He'd seen people do a lot of strange things in this bar, but never something so odd as simply sitting and drinking. It wasn't normal, and it interrupted him in pursuit of his self-appointed mission. He only had a half hour of his own time to grab a meal then get out on the road again. He'd been assigned to baby-sit Route 7, and while he was pretty sure nothing would happen on such a main road, he had to be out there in his squad car until he was relieved at four in the morning by a local boy with a lot of time and no money.

The young man forced himself to walk towards Daisy Duke, even though the look on her face indicated that he'd be wiser to turn back around and get out on the road with an empty stomach. And, if his only need had been a meal, he might have done just that. He had another purpose here, though, and he couldn't allow himself to be scared away from completing it.

"Hi, Daisy," he greeted, without his usual enthusiasm.

"What can I get you, Enos?" The barmaid got right down to business, and this didn't help the deputy's cause a lot. He needed courage, and Daisy's no-nonsense attitude didn't exactly provide him with any.

Feeling almost ashamed to make her serve him at all, Enos answered, "Just the usual, Daisy." He focused on a spot slightly to the left of where Daisy actually stood. He'd caught her eye for a second as he'd made his order, and behind the cool blue he'd seen a certain wildness that indicated something was amiss. He wished he could comfort her instead of making things worse, but doing so would be a kind of dishonesty. And truthfulness was Enos' anchor in any storm; he couldn't afford to give it up, especially when the seas got rough.

As she handed him the tomato sandwich and sweet tea that were, as far as anyone knew, the entirety of his food pyramid, Enos screwed up his courage to speak. Before he could say anything, though, Daisy had walked away. The deputy watched as the beautiful young woman settled a beer apiece in front of normally rowdy patrons. When one opened his mouth, undoubtedly to comment on her work uniform, which consisted of a few threads of blue across her bottom, and a couple of pink hearts placed strategically on a white blouse, something in the look on her face made the man stop, and simply thank her for the libations.

Somewhere during the couple of minutes that Enos took to devour his meal, the door to the back office opened, and a puff of smoke exited, followed by Boss Hogg. The county commissioner scanned the crowd, clearly confused by their extremely calm demeanor. The deputy watched as the older man counted the number of people present and checked that they were all drinking. When the cigar came out of Boss's mouth, and he opened it as if to speak, Daisy Duke fixed him with a look.

"Did you need something Boss?" she asked in a pleasant, but somehow scolding voice.

"Er, no, Daisy. I just, wondered, I mean, dat! Never mind." If the man in white had a tail, as the children of Hazzard frequently suggested, it was held firmly between his legs as he slipped back into his office and closed the door.

By the time he had finished his meal, the deputy was running out of time. He had no choice but to act now, or never. Swallowing hard and stumbling as he slipped off his barstool, he walked to where Daisy was standing at the end of the bar.

"Daisy," he tried.

"More tea?" the barmaid asked him.

"No, Daisy, I need to talk to you."

"I'm listening," she said, though everything about her body language suggested that she was miles away and not paying any attention to what the deputy had to say.

"Daisy, can we step outside for a minute?"

"I'm workin', sugar," she said, eyeing the quiet crowd.

"I know that Daisy, but you do get one fifteen minute break, don't you? Could you maybe take it now, so's I can tell you something?"

"Enos Strate, do I show up at your work and interrupt you when I need to say somethin'?" Daisy had fixed her eyes on him, and the look made him shudder a little. Still, he had an important mission and only about five minutes left in which to accomplish it.

"Please, Daisy, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important," he nearly begged.

Shaking her head slightly as if to clear her thoughts, the young woman looked at her friend again. Her eyes softened a little, and she nodded her head. Calling to Al to let him know he was on his own for a couple of minutes, Daisy followed the deputy out into the parking lot.

"What is it, Enos?" Daisy asked, her voice gentler than it had been since the minute Enos had walked in the door.

"It's… it's about Bo and Luke, Daisy."

"Come on, Enos, we ain't got all night." Though her words scolded, the deputy knew her well enough to realize that she was just trying to get him to stop being so shy and come out with whatever he had to say. Sometimes his shyness annoyed even him.

"Well, the sheriff thinks they broke probation by leavin' the state."

"They went huntin', Enos."

"Right, well, the sheriff don't think so. At first he thought they was up in the hills of Tennessee, makin' 'shine."

"Us Dukes gave our word, Enos. Ain't none of us gonna make any 'shine anymore."

"I know that Daisy, but the sheriff, he don't trust nobody. Anyways, he don't think that no more."

"No? Then what's the problem?"

"Well, you know how Luke was lookin' for Bo a couple of weeks back, and he came into the sheriff's station demandin' to know where Bo was…"

"Yeah." Both Daisy and Enos were distracted for a second by a hoot that came from within the bar.

"Well, the sheriff told him that the last place he seen Bo was with Robby Haines. An' nobody's seen Luke since then."

"So?" A couple more loud voices from inside floated out and over the parking lot.

"It's all over town now, what happened to Robby, and where he was."

"Yeah," Daisy said quietly. Enos dared to touch her arm for just a second. Robby was younger than both of them, but not by much. They'd both known him throughout school, and it was a shock to think that someone your own age was gone forever.

"Well, the sheriff, he ain't dumb."

Daisy's head came up in surprise.

"He ain't, Daisy, no matter what you think. Sometimes he gets a little confused, but he ain't dumb. He's pretty sure Bo and Luke was up there, too. An' that means they broke probation. He's got a whole bunch of us out there, all along the state line, trying to catch them comin' back in. I just thought you ought to know, is all." His last words were punctuated by a crash from inside.

Realizing just how much of a risk her friend had taken in coming here, Daisy favored him with a kiss to the cheek.

"Thank you, Enos," she said, turning to walk back into the bar.

Barely managing to keep his feet under him, the deputy watched her retreating form, trying to force his eyes to stay above her waistline. As the door closed behind her, and he headed for his cruiser, Enos noticed that the roadhouse had gone silent once again.

* * *

Right after they'd all three gone down to the nearby creek to wash their dishes and themselves, Katie Jane had yawned, stretched, and told the boys she was tired and needed her sleep. Bo tried to go with her, suggesting that he would stay until she was asleep, then move over to the tent, some twenty feet away, that he and Luke would share. The young woman had thanked the concerned Duke boy for his offer, but declined. 

Luke was relieved, but Bo seemed agitated. The older Duke boy wanted nothing more than a little bit of private time to talk to his younger cousin, or rather, get Bo to talk to him. The brunette continued to be impressed with Bo's conduct towards Katie Jane, but everything else about him was erratic. And Luke had a good guess about where some of his behavior was coming from. If he could get the boy to express what he was feeling, Luke thought Bo would probably feel a lot better, and settle down somewhat.

The two of them sat across the fire from one another, not speaking. The blonde's indigo eyes flashed in the light, refusing to meet Luke's lighter blue. For a little while the cousins surveyed the scenery, or as much as they could see of it in the green-blue moonlight. They'd chosen this area to camp in because of its proximity to water, the pine needles they could gather to place under the tents for comfort and insulation against the cold ground, and the abundant firewood. Beauty had not been of primary importance, and it was a good thing, for if they'd been concerned about it, they would have been disappointed by this location. To the east, now reflecting more moonlight than anything else in the area, was a half mountain, another victim of strip mining. Instead of the dense tree cover that could be found in much of this part of the state, all one could see in that direction was exposed dirt and stone. Wildlife seemed to give the spot a wide berth as well, since it offered them nothing by way of food or shelter.

Mining seemed to take a lot of things from people and nature, Luke thought. It gave back coal, which was needed for fuel; he understood that. But the equation was unbalanced, as far as Luke could see. It had taken Jesse's brother and Bo's friend, and right now it had taken something out of Bo, too. Luke desperately wanted to put whatever was missing back into his cousin, and make him the whole, happy boy that he normally was.

"How you holdin' up, cuz?" the brunette tried.

"Okay."

Single word answers were not what Luke had in mind, so he tried the direct approach. Like a well-aimed arrow, Bo usually went straight to the heart of whatever was bothering him. Luke hoped he was sighting correctly, trying the tactic he used next.

"Bo," he said, trying to catch his cousin's eye across the low fire, "tell me about the mines."

The blonde watched the firelight reflecting off his own hands for a moment, then looked up. Only allowing eye contact for a split second, Bo turned his entire head away from his cousin, staring at the nothing where there should have been trees. His face hardened and he turned back to Luke, eyes narrowed. All of this seemed to take forever to his older cousin, but in reality it was only a few seconds.

"Katie Jane's right in there, in mourning, and you want me to talk about the thing that killed her husband? That's pretty insensitive, Lukas." There it was again: his full name, used to chastise him. Luke missed the days when Bo would only say that name with affection.

"Bo," Luke whispered, once again trying to calm the half-feral creature that his cousin seemed to have become, "She's asleep. And she'll stay that way if you keep your voice down. Talk to me, cousin."

Not in the least mollified by Luke's tone, Bo stood up and walked into the cool air, away from the fire.

"She's sleepin' and we should be, too. I'm goin' to bed, Luke. We got a lot to figure out tomorrow."

Luke held up his hands in surrender, but did not move to put out the fire. He wouldn't be sleeping for awhile, and he didn't believe Bo would either. But this new man that his cousin had become seemed to need more space than the boy Luke had grown up with, so the brunette would keep his vigil out here and let Bo have the privacy of the tent for now.


	16. He Keeps Protecting Me

_Well, I've got the flu, so my notes will be mercifully brief. Just the usual no harm meant and I own nothing._

_And of course, thanks for reading and special thanks to those who review. I have to mention KatieMalfoy19 here, who goes above and beyond the call of duty to review, even if she has to do it by PM._

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Chapter 16 – He Keeps Protecting Me

"Cooter! Concentrate, will ya? You get too close to Maudine's back end there, an' she'll give ya the kinda what-for that'll keep ya laid up for a week!"

"Yes, sir, Uncle Jesse."

"And I ain't yer Uncle Jesse." Truth be told, though, if the old man had adopted one more child, he would have wanted it to be Cooter Davenport. It wasn't that the mechanic was any better behaved than the boys Jesse already had, because he surely wasn't. But his nature and his heart were both so good that Jesse couldn't help but easily forgive all the crazy things he did.

"Yes, sir."

"And Cooter…"

"Yes, sir?"

"Thank you, son."

"No problem, Uncle Mr. Jesse."

Jesse had insisted that they complete the chores before talking. Cooter had arrived that morning in an extremely excited state, saying he really needed to tell Jesse and Daisy something. While the white haired man was interested to know what the boys' oldest friend had on his mind, he knew the priorities of farm life, one of which was feeding the livestock. Now Jesse was worried that Cooter, in his rush to get food in front of the animals, would get himself kicked in the chest before he could share whatever was so goldarn important to him.

The mechanic's exuberance was quite infectious, though. Jesse and Daisy had both arisen somewhat tired and upset. The young woman had made coffee and while they'd warmed themselves with it, preparing for the morning outdoors, she'd described her conversation with Enos the night before. It wasn't like the information was exactly news; after all they'd known about jobbed-in deputies the day before. But realizing that Rosco had figured out some semblance of the boys' whereabouts didn't exactly make either of the remaining Dukes in Hazzard particularly cheerful.

When Cooter had shown up with all the energy of a four year old that had overdosed on butter brickle on the night before Christmas, though, it had put some extra spunk into the old man's step, and a small twinkle into Daisy's exhausted eyes.

Now, giving Maudine's stall a wide berth, Cooter stumbled on a pitchfork, nearly impaling his sneaker clad foot. Taking the young man by the shoulders, Daisy led him outside and handed him a bucket.

"Feed the chickens, Cooter," she suggested. "An' don't let none of 'em peck you, neither," she added with a smirk.

Soon enough, the most urgent chores were completed, and the three of them retreated to the kitchen for the best breakfast Daisy could make. As they sat at the table, Cooter finally spilled over with the words he'd been holding back all morning.

"Uncle Jesse, I got a way to get the boys home. Daisy's already seen part of it, but I need to take somethin' from your barn, and I need to talk to Luke when the boys call today. An' it's gonna take a few days."

"Whoa, boy! Pull that train into the station and let just a few passengers off at a time, wouldja?" The white haired man snapped.

Taking a deep breath, Cooter started again. "It's like this…"

* * *

Gently biting his lower lip, Bo approached the public phone. This whole trip had been about responsibility, and he was tired of letting Luke take care of the part that involved their uncle. He'd pretty much demanded to be the one to make the morning call today, and Luke had acquiesced without argument. In fact, the only thing he'd done was hand Bo the jar of change and give him a strange look. Feeling slightly ashamed, the teenager had mumbled his thanks. And now here he was, standing in front of the phone, almost afraid to dial. When Luke made a move in Bo's direction though, the blonde shoved aside any fears and started spinning the rotary on the pay phone so quickly that it was hard to tell whether he was sticking his fingers into the right holes or not.

"Uncle Jesse, it's Bo," he announced when the older man answered the phone. He braced himself for the lecture that hadn't come yet, but which he knew he deserved.

"How you holding up, boy?"

"All right…" Bo was at a loss. If his uncle wasn't going to yell at him, he didn't know what to say. Falling back on a lifetime's habit of small talk, he asked after the farm and Daisy.

"We're all right, son. We miss you and we love you."

Bo almost fell over with surprise. However, the next words were not at all what he wanted to hear.

"Can you put Luke on? I need to talk to him."

"Yes, sir," Bo answered, miffed. He handed the phone to his cousin, a little more roughly that was strictly necessary, then stalked over to stand by Tilly. Luke watched as Katie Jane followed the teenager, and wondered exactly what Jesse had said to upset him so much.

"Uncle Jesse?" he asked, assuming the answer would come from the man that had raised them.

"Hey, Luke. Listen, there's two things that need plannin' and coordinatin', and one of 'em you're gonna do with me, the other with Cooter. You got enough change for that?"

"No, I don't think we do."

"All right then, give me your number an' we'll call you right back."

While he looked across the parking lot at Luke talking to their uncle, Bo kicked Tilly's rear tire.

"What's the matter, Bo?" Katie Jane had come up so quietly, and Bo had been so absorbed in his irritation, that he was surprised to find her there.

"Aw, nothing important. How are you holdin' up, darlin'?" he asked, reaching out for her.

"Bo," the girl said, keeping just out of the reach of his long arms, "I'm all right, and I'll be better if you stop babying me so much." Seeing a look of hurt cross his face, Katie Jane tried again. "Bo, you're sweet, and you mean well. And I know you feel bad about Robby, and about me." Even as tears filled her eyes again, she held up a hand to keep Bo from putting his arms around her. "But unless you let me help _you_ sometimes, I'm gonna feel like a helpless widow forever. An' I'm too young for that, okay?" She offered Bo a shaky smile.

"Okay," the blonde answered, and held out his hand to shake. Surprising him, she spat on her palm, and looked at him with a dare in her eyes. He did the same, and they shook hands like true 'shine runners. It was now a pact that couldn't be broken.

"Now, tell me what's making you pick on poor old Tilly, there?"

"Aw, it's just… Luke."

"What about him?"

"It ain't all his fault, but some of it is. It's just, I keep tryin' to face things, you know, like a man, and somehow he keeps protectin' me anyways. An' Uncle Jesse, he keeps settin' it up so that Luke's the one in charge. I mean, he always has been, but I just think I don't need him protectin' me every minute, you know?"

With a mischievous chuckle, Katie Jane nodded. "Yeah, I think I do know. Talk to him."

Before Bo could retort that his older cousin would never listen to what he had to say, Luke was headed in their direction.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Bo answered, none too happily.

With a slight giggle, Katie Jane also answered in the positive.

Looking confused, Luke got down to business all the same. "Okay, here's the plan. Bo, we gotta stay away a couple of more days while Cooter does some stuff that'll help get us safely back to Hazzard."

"Oh yeah?" Bo asked, getting interested. "Like what?"

"We'll talk about that in a minute. First though, Katie Jane, Ken Haines is comin' to get you, so you don't have to camp with us for the next couple of nights. After all, he can come and go from Hazzard any time he wants. We gotta meet him in Chattanooga in three hours, so let's get a move on. And, Bo," Luke said, seeing the anger forming on his cousin's face, "We'll talk about the other part on the way, all right?"

"Yeah," Bo answered, even less happy than he'd been before.

* * *

Driving towards the mill, Jesse realized that what he was about to do was something he'd both looked forward to and dreaded. What with all the activity surrounding the youngest Haines boy's death, he'd been distracted from solving a very important problem that affected not only his family, but the entire town. But while the result was something Jesse very much wanted, the process was going to be difficult.

Marching himself into Ridge Owens' office, the Duke patriarch put on his best no-nonsense scowl. Upon seeing the older man, the mill's owner paled a little bit, realizing that he was probably going to get the rough side of Jesse's tongue sometime in the near future. But he was a business man, and he'd been raked over the coals before. So he straightened his back and greeted his guest.

"All right, Ridge, how much are you really into J. D. for?"

"More'n you can afford to give me, Jesse."

"Shoot, Ridge, a dime is more'n I can afford to give you. I didn't ask you that. Now answer the question."

"Yes, sir," the mill's owner answered automatically, then shook his head. When was the last time he had called anyone '_sir_?' Not since he was in his twenties, he was pretty sure. Clearing his thoughts, Ridge provided the Duke patriarch with a figure.

When he heard the number, Jesse was surprised. It was a lot, at least in terms of what one man or one farm could earn. But it was not so much that the entire town of Hazzard couldn't sustain it, not if they all worked together.

"All right, Ridge, here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna form a coalition of farmers, and we're gonna find a way to keep this mill in business. But in return, you gotta do somethin' for us. You gotta make us members of your board of directors, so that when you have financial considerations in the future, you have to consult us before you go get a loan. You got it?"

"Yes, s… Jesse."

"You ready to do this, Ridge?"

With the first genuine smile he'd sported in weeks, the mill's owner answered, "You bet."

* * *

Davenport and Duke worked side by side in companionable silence. Though he was not accustomed to sharing the open hood of a car with this particular Duke, Cooter had to admit, she was every bit as talented as her cousins when it came to cars. And she was a lot more pleasant to look at than they were.

"We're gonna need us a new fuel line, sweetheart," Cooter announced, standing upright and stretching his back. "An' for this – it's gonna have to be high grade stuff."

"You got any?"

"Nope, but there's that auto parts store in Capitol City. I'll go up there while you're at work. In the meantime, maybe we should do that other thing," the mechanic said, gesturing towards the gazebo in the middle of Hazzard Square.

With a smile, Daisy answered, "Right, that other thing."

Slipping out the back door of the garage, the two friends kept to the alleys, finally coming out onto the square itself between the bank and Rhuebottom's store. They made their way into the park in the middle of the square and sat on the bench that backed up to the gazebo. Daisy glanced up to be sure that their audience was still sitting up there. Spotting the light blue cloth of the deputy's uniform, the woman began to sob loudly.

"Cooter, I just don't know what to do about those cousins of mine!"

"What do you mean, Daisy?"

"Well, we told them not to, but they're gonna hike up and over Iron Mountain to get home. And they're gonna do it in the middle of the night. You know, when you can't see all the rattlesnakes up there. They say, and I guess this part is right, that Rosco won't be brave enough to chase them up there, so by the time they get down this side they'll be well across the state line and Rosco can't prove they've ever been out."

"Well, Daisy, I'm sure they'll make it past them rattlesnakes all right. They know what they're doin' up there. B'sides, would you bite Bo and Luke even if you was a rattlesnake?"

Daisy was about to continue the mini-play they were performing, when Cooter elbowed her and pointed to Enos's back which, along with the rest of the deputy's body, was walking towards the county building, too far away to hear any more.

"You really think he'll tell Rosco?" the mechanic asked.

"He won't want to, but he couldn't live with himself if he didn't. Well, that ought to tire them out some. Where do we want to send them tomorrow night?" Daisy asked with a million dollar grin.


	17. Tin of Morphine

_Hi all! Well, I went light on the notes for the last chapter, but this time I do have to say a couple of things. My information on mining comes from research that I did on the subject, but what I have written is not a well-rounded portrayal. It is also somewhat inaccurate, in the sense that some of what I talk about hasn't been done since probably the 1950's or maybe 60's, but I put it into 1976 anyway. So even though the Scotia Mine disaster was real, not everything I wrote in this chapter is completely realistic with regard to that particular time-frame. As always, I mean no harm to anyone by the choices I have made here. _

_I do not own the Dukes of Hazzard nor any of the settings for this story. Although some of the events are real, none of the characters are based on real people, either living or dead._

_Thanks so much to everyone who has been staying with this story, and special thanks to those who have taken the time to review. This is a long chapter (preceded by long notes!) but as you can tell by the title, one of the questions that many of you have been asking me starting back in Chapter 10, will get answered here._

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Chapter 17 – Tin of Morphine

The meeting in Chattanooga had worked out perfectly, with the Duke boys and Ken arriving at the agreed upon corner at about the same time. They all knew this particular city to some extent, since it was within reasonable driving distance from Hazzard. Local kids came here to experience some of the ambience of a city. Of course, what Bo, Luke and Ken knew best were the various bars where they'd been when they were still underage, brought by older boys to take part in a rite of passage. They'd all learned how to drink 'shine in the backwoods, but the more social drinking arena of a bar appealed to them, and they could never get anything alcoholic in the Boar's Nest until they were eighteen, considering that everyone in town knew everyone else's birth date. As younger teens, they'd all come to a place called the State Street Pub. It was a hole-in-the-wall that didn't ID even the youngest looking kids, and it served everything. It was in front of this old hangout that the boys and Katie Jane met Ken Haines.

Bo hadn't been overly eager to see the young woman go. She certainly didn't need to be camping anymore; she'd been a good sport the night before, but it clearly hadn't suited her much. And though she wasn't showing yet, Bo was ever-alert to the fact that Katie Jane was pregnant. He also knew she'd told him she didn't need quite so much attention as he'd been giving her, but without the distraction of taking care of her, Bo felt at something of a loss. All of the various responsibilities that he'd tried to take on in the past few weeks had been removed from him, one by one.

And now that he and Luke had returned to a place they used to camp when running 'shine, on a southeastern Tennessee peak called Big Frog Mountain, the youngster was feeling even more out of sorts. They'd cooked and eaten dinner, then cleaned their mess kits, and now there was nothing left to do but stare at each other over the small campfire.

"It's kinda nice to get out here again, ain't it, cuz?" Luke asked.

"Oh, yeah, real nice," Bo answered sarcastically. "Stuck out here 'cause we can't go home…"

The older boy sighed, running a hand back through his unruly hair. "Look, Bo, I don't know what I'm supposed to say. Every time I try to talk to you, you got somethin' negative to say in return."

"Well, then why don't you stop trying to say anything?"

"Because I want to talk to you. I want you to talk to me. Something's botherin' you an' I want to know what it is."

"Robby's dead! Ain't that enough?"

Luke's patience was not exactly endless, and he was well aware of that fact. He'd stayed about as calm as he could for the past few days, knowing his cousin was hurting. But he was getting close to shaking the boy. Normally, he'd take Bo by the shoulders, simultaneously showing affection and settling the teen down with his touch. But Luke wasn't sure how much self-control he'd have if he actually did grab hold of his cousin. And, if he was completely honest with himself, he had to admit that he didn't know what Bo's response would be; whether he'd accept the touch, or wrench himself away from Luke. The older boy wasn't used to the latter happening, and he was learning that he didn't much care for it when it did.

"No, cuz, it's not, not for the way you been actin'. Listen, I know…"

"You know, you know. You know everything, don't you, Lukas?" The minute the words were out of his mouth, Bo saw a change in his older cousin, and he was instantly regretful. He wasn't exactly sure what had done it, but now the brunette looked both angry and hurt.

Face reddened by the effort to stay calm, Luke spoke very deliberately. "I want you to stop callin' me by my full name like that, Bo. You ain't Uncle Jesse or Aunt Lavinia, you ain't got no call to do that. An' even they didn't use my name in that tone of voice unless I'd done somethin' really bad, like hurtin' you. I ain't done nothin' to hurt you, so quit it."

Bo looked away so Luke wouldn't see the childish tears that had insisted on coming to his eyes. He had good reasons to be angry at his cousin, he tried to remind himself, but somehow his confidence in that fact was shaken by the way Luke had looked at him just now. The younger Duke boy was afraid Luke would start pushing for answers again, but even more than that, he was afraid that his cousin would stop asking. And most of all, he worried that Luke would get up and walk away, something the retired Marine was known to do when he was angry.

"I…" Bo tried, but he didn't know what it was he meant to say, and his voice was betraying his tears anyway, so he stopped.

"You what, Bo?" Luke's tone hadn't softened at all; he was obviously still angry. But he hadn't walked away yet, either.

Bo swiped his arm across his face, quickly, hoping Luke would mistake the gesture for anything other than what it was. Eyes clearer, he looked back at his cousin. The expression on Luke's face was no easier for Bo to look at now than it had been a few moments ago. If anything, the older boy appeared more hurt and less angry. But it was as though Bo's tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. He didn't know what to say.

"I give up. You don't want to talk, don't talk. I'm goin' for a walk."

"No," Bo said, quietly.

"What?" Luke had gotten up, but now he turned back towards his younger cousin.

"Don't… don't go," the younger boy answered, hating the tears that were back in his eyes.

"I don't know what you want me to do, Bo. Most of the time you act like you wish I was somewhere else, anywhere but near you. And then other times, it's like now, when you don't want me to go."

Bo dropped his head down and nodded. This didn't help Luke at all.

"Well, I ain't gonna sit here all night and stare off into space. And I damn sure," even knowing that his uncle was in a different state didn't keep Luke from wincing after saying that, "Ain't gonna stay around if you're gonna talk to me like you hate me or somethin'. So unless you got somethin' to say, I'm goin' for a walk."

Once again, Bo couldn't get his tongue to move, but his neck and head seemed to be working fine, so he picked them up and looked at his cousin, hoping that maybe, by looking into the cool blue of Luke's eyes, he'd find some words.

Luke wanted to stay angry. Bo was giving him that look, the one the youngster knew no one could resist. The thing was, though, as much as Bo was aware that his wide, dark eyes could work wonders, he rarely used them that way anymore. Luke had to admit that if either of them was a manipulator, it was him. Bo was pretty straightforward and very honest. And his eyes looking as sad and full of turmoil as they were right now meant that Bo was feeling exactly that awful.

Luke sighed and sat down, heavily. He picked up a small stone and began turning in his hands. It wasn't anything special, just a big pebble, but it gave him something to focus on.

"Okay, Bo, we'll start real easy. I'll talk to you for a little while, if you promise to talk to me when I'm done, all right?"

Blonde curls flopped as the younger boy's head nodded.

Luke nodded once as well, as he committed himself to the unaccustomed position of speaking first. He suddenly realized that he was more comfortable responding to Bo's chatter than taking the verbal lead. "You remember hearin' about an Uncle Carleton?"

"Yeah." Bo tested his voice, and it came out a whisper, but at least it was working.

"He was one of Jesse's little brothers, and I guess Jesse kinda felt protective of him," Luke smirked, not looking at his cousin. If he had, he might have seen a matching, though very small and brief, smirk. "He went off to the mines, Bo, to work. An' he didn't come back."

"He died before we was even born…" Bo said, confused. He hadn't ever asked for the stories behind all of Jesse's brothers' deaths. The only ones he'd really cared about, he suddenly realized, were his own parents, Luke's and Daisy's. He'd never really thought it through, that there had once been seven of them, and now there was only one. And that Jesse must have loved them all.

"Yeah, he did. In the mines. Something called a 'white damp' killed him. That's why Jesse sent me after you. He didn't – an' I didn't – want that to happen to you."

"Yeah, I know about a white damp. My foreman, Jim, taught me about that. There's a lot of ways to get killed in a mine. Some of 'em are human error, but most ain't."

Encouraged, Luke said, "Tell me about the mines, Bo."

The younger boy barked out a harsh little laugh, and Luke thought he was probably in for another lashing from the rough side of Bo's tongue. He looked up, ready to tell his cousin that he'd be going for that walk after all, when he saw that despite the laugh, Bo's eyes were wet. The blonde didn't even seen to realize that the tears were there; this, more than anything, froze Luke in place.

"Most of the guys down there, they're real good people. Come from farmin' families, like us, you know? They ain't farmin' no more, 'cause their granddaddies sold the land to the mining company."

Luke nodded; he'd learned this much from Sarah.

"So they've been doin' somethin' in the mines since they came of age. They start out cleanin' coal, and work their way up to being trapper boys, down there trappin' rats. Not that it works or nothin'. There's rats everywhere down there," Bo shuddered. "Then they get to drive the mules, an' eventually, at 18, when they're off their workin' papers, they can go down there and shovel coal. It's the only way to make more'n minimum wage, so they look forward to it, you know?" Bo paused, as Luke nodded. "But they was raised like us, to love the land an' respect the livestock and the wildlife, too. So, you know, the strip mining…" Bo trailed off, thinking about all the barren hillsides he and Luke had seen over the past couple of weeks.

"Sarah said somethin' about how the landslides get into the river, then they interrupt the flow, make it flood in some places, and slow down to a trickle in others. It flows from one river to another, too. She told me something that would be funny, if it wasn't so sad. She said, 'if you're wonderin' where the mountains of Kentucky went, you can find them running down the Mississippi,'" Luke said.

Another hard laugh escaped from the blonde's mouth. "Yeah, but the land ain't all, Luke. You know what Jim told me? He said, when winter comes, the coal companies, they just turn an old mule loose to fend for itself. They know it ain't gonna live through the winter, an' they don't wanna feed it no more. Costs money." Bo picked up a stick and threw it. Both boys heard it crash into the trees, not far away, as they thought about Maudine, and what Jesse had taught them. Your mule, no matter how old, had worked hard for you. You took care of it until it died. You never let it suffer.

"What're they usin' mules for anyways? Ain't you got coal cars to lug the stuff back up?"

"Yeah, but the cars can only go as far as the tracks do, an they don't go everywhere down there. Or they didn't. I guess they've sealed 'em by now?" Bo knew that Luke had been keeping up with the newspapers all along. The blonde couldn't bring himself to read them.

"Yeah, they say a total of twenty-six men died, fifteen in that first blast, and another eleven in the second. And they sealed up the mines."

The cousins sat in silence for a little while, Luke still rolling the stone around in his hands, while Bo dragged his fingers through the soft mountain soil upon which they both sat.

"Bo," Luke began, squinting as he carefully chose his words. "Why would a foreman give morphine to a coal loader?"

When the younger boy shifted, Luke thought maybe his cousin was going to close up on him again, turn his back and say something angry, like he'd been doing for the past few days. The retired Marine was stunned when Bo pulled a small tin from his jeans pocket.

"You mean this?" the blonde asked, showing the thing to Luke, but not handing it to him.

"Oh God, Bo, what're you doing with that?"

"I wonder if Robby's foreman gave him one," Bo said, regarding the item in his hands, and ignoring Luke's question for now. "I wonder if it would have mattered?"

"Bo!" Luke said in alarm. The boy seemed to be horribly fascinated by silver container in his hand. It glinted in the firelight, reflecting bright sparks, as if to remind Luke of exactly how powerful a drug it contained.

"They give it to you so that if you're trapped in a cave in, and there ain't enough air, or if you're hurt down there, and you know you're gonna die…"

"Aw, geez, Bo…" Luke said. Before he could say anything more, the younger boy sprung to his feet. Afraid the teenager would take off, Luke moved quickly to get his own feet under him. The brunette was only halfway there when Bo brought his arm back and flung the tin as far as he could. Neither of them heard it land, as Luke grabbed Bo's shoulders, turning the younger boy to face him. Seeing the wild look in Bo's eyes, and knowing that his own lighter blue were likely a reflection, Luke kept his hands firmly on Bo's shoulders, trying to ground them both. Breathing heavily, the boys stared into each other's eyes for a few minutes. Finally, Bo took a step towards Luke, and they flung their arms around each other, holding on for dear life.

Not thinking, and saying what was in his heart for a change, Luke whispered, "Oh my God, Bo, I could have lost you. Why did ya go, cousin? And why did ya stay?"

Pulling himself away from the older boy, Bo sat down again. Luke followed, sitting much closer to his cousin than he had been a few minutes before, though he didn't touch him. It seemed that for this conversation to take place, the blonde needed more space than usual, and Luke was determined to give it to him. And so he waited, in silence, for the boy to come out with it.

"You know why I went Luke," Bo began to answer. "Because we needed the money. And why did we need the money?"

"Because the mill was closin'."

"No. Because we can't make or sell 'shine no more. An' whose fault is that?"

Despite his realization that Bo needed space, Luke reached out and grabbed Bo's arm.

"Nobody's, Bo. It ain't nobody's fault."

"Yeah, it is, Luke. If you'da been drivin'…"

"Bo, I'm gonna tell you the God's honest truth here, so you listen good. If I'da been drivin', one of two things woulda happened. Either I woulda had to give up and surrender, or we'da crash-landed into the Uchee River. An' Jesse woulda had to bury us both instead of just the copper worm," Luke answered, referring to a critical part of any still, and the one thing Jesse had removed forever from the otherwise intact works that still stood in the woods of Hazzard. "Bo, you didn't get us caught. We was tricked, and we was outnumbered. There ain't nothin' you coulda done better'n you did."

The blonde shook his head; the guilt he'd been carrying for seven months had become so much a part of him that he didn't know how to let it go.

"If anything," Luke said, "It was my fault. I shoulda been able to out think them somehow. I shoulda planned better, made sure we had Jesse's shotgun in the car or something."

"Aw, Luke, we'd never needed it before; how could you have known to bring it that time?"

Luke shrugged. "I just shoulda."

"Naw, Luke, you had no way of knowin' what we was gettin' into. How could you know Boss set it up? And how could you have planned to get around four different cars that was after us?"

"I don't know. How should you have been able to out drive four cars?"

Bo actually smiled, just slightly. "I don't know. I just shoulda."

"Cuz, we both pretty much walked away from that accident at the end of the chase. If I'da been driving… we wouldn'ta, I'm telling ya. If anything, you kept us alive to find a new way of makin' a living. Do you think it woulda been any easier on Jesse and Daisy if we wasn't around anymore?"

Bo shook his head; it was a hard thing, letting go of his guilt. But he'd try, especially since it seemed to mean so much to Luke.

"Okay, it wasn't neither of our faults, Luke. I just wish it hadn't happened."

"Me too, cuz," Luke answered, finally releasing his hold on the other boy's arm.

"As for why I stayed, and also part of why I went…" Bo swallowed. This next part was going to be very hard. He didn't want to argue with Luke anymore, so he was going to have to say it. But he didn't want to be laughed at either, and he was afraid that was exactly what would happen when he explained himself.

Luke's posture indicated that he was listening, and this scared Bo almost more than if the older boy had walked away after all.

"Aw, heck, Luke, I'm just tired of y'all treatin' me like I'm a kid."

"We don't do that, Bo."

"Yeah," Bo answered, forcing his tone to stay even. The last thing he needed now was an outburst of emotion. He wanted his older cousin to take him seriously. "You do, you especially. I know you're just tryin' to protect me," the blonde continued, anticipating his cousin's argument. "But if you're always protectin' me, then I can't help when there's trouble. I can't be part of the solution; I'm just part of the problem, which _you_ always try to solve. It's just time I took some responsibility, is all. An' you won't let me. You said before that I had no call to talk to you like Uncle Jesse or Aunt Lavinia would, because you wasn't hurtin' me. Only you was, Luke. Not on purpose, but you was."

"I…" Luke tried, but then realized he had nothing, really, to say. At least nothing that refuted Bo's point of view.

"I was just tryin' to do my part, you know? An' then, when I'm tryin' to show Jesse that I can help by workin' in the mines, you jump in with that whole 'maybe if I went, instead' thing, Luke! Makin' me look like some stupid little kid or somethin'."

"You ain't a stupid little kid, Bo…"

"Well, _I_ know that! It's you that doesn't!"

"Bo, I never thought you was a stupid little kid."

"You coulda fooled me!"

"I'll admit that I treated you like one, okay? I can see that, or I can see how you felt that way. I didn't mean it, though. You're right, I was just protectin' you. It's just, I been doin' it so long…" Luke looked out into the darkness for a moment, trying to keep a cap on his emotions. "I never thought you was a stupid little kid, Bo. But even if I had, I woulda had to change my mind by now. The way you was with Katie Jane, it was like watchin' Uncle Jesse. I couldn'ta done that, not like you did. You was amazing, Bo, so gentle and patient…"

"It wasn't no big deal, Luke."

"Yeah," once again, Luke placed a hand on Bo's shoulder, "It was. It was like you could read her mind, and like you knew what she needed."

"I just knew how I felt, and I figured, if she was feelin' the same way, then I knew what would help her, 'cause I knew it would help me."

"Yeah, Bo, and you say it like it was nothin', but it was really somethin'."

Bo laughed. "Yeah, well this mornin' she told me to give her some breathin' space, that she didn't need me hoverin' over her."

"Well, Bo, that's a good thing. 'Cause the first time we saw her, after that first explosion, she wasn't exactly handling things well. An' the fact that she was doin' so much better by this mornin', it means you helped her to feel strong enough to stand on her own two feet."

The younger boy nodded again. "It's like you and me, Luke. All those years you protected me and taught me stuff, it's made me strong. Strong enough to help out when we're in trouble, instead of standing aside and letting you and Jesse figure it out."

"Yeah…" Luke said, understanding for the first time that instead of helping, he was holding his cousin back.

"Except, I guess maybe you was right. I didn't do such a great job of helping out, did I? I never even got one paycheck, an' now we'll be two weeks further behind on the farm…"

"Aw, Bo. You did your best. The explosion wasn't your fault. It wasn't nobody's fault. They think it was a spark from one of those coal cars on the tracks that caused it."

Bo shook his head at the senselessness of it. Something that had been built to make the coal miner's jobs easier had killed 26 men, one of which had been Bo's friend.

"An' Bo? Robby was gonna go whether you went with him or not. If you hadn'ta been there, what woulda happened to Katie Jane? She needed you, Bo, more than me, Jesse, Daisy or the farm did. At least for the last few days. You was exactly where you was supposed to be, I guess."

Bo was used to being the one who could take something as awful as the past two weeks and somehow turn it into something good. He'd never heard his cousin do that before.

"Look who's becoming an optimist," Bo laughed. "Looks like I'm rubbing off on you, Lukas." The minute the name was out of his mouth, Bo froze, getting ready to make apologies.

"It's okay, Bo. As long as you ain't using my own name against me, like you hate me or somethin', I like it when you call me that."

"All right," Bo said, suddenly shy about what he wanted to say next. "Then, thanks… for listening, Lukas."

"Thanks for talkin', cuz," Luke said, standing and offering his cousin a hand up. He'd intended to head for bed, but once both boys were on their feet, Luke found he had something else to say. "I missed you so much, Bo. Not just when I didn't know where you was, but also when you was right next to me, but not talkin'. You was so quiet, I didn't even recognize you," Luke finished, meaning it to be a joke, but finding it was true all the same.

Bo put an arm around his older cousin. "Now you know how I felt, when you was away in the Marines, and also when you came back, keepin' to yourself."

Luke nodded. In companionable silence, the boys stomped out the small campfire and headed off to get their sleeping bags so they could spend the night under the stars.


	18. Letting Go

_Hi all. I'm trying to go light on the notes, but responsibility compels me to tell you the following: my research revealed that_ some_ miners used to carry tins of morphine in case of disaster. I do not believe that this practice continues to this day, though I have no real way of knowing. Nothing in my research indicated that the miners were ever given that morphine by their bosses, however. They probably acquired it on their own. I didn't really see Bo doing that, so I made his foreman give it to him, and I established it as practice in Oven Fork for the sole purpose of increased drama. Remember, I'm not being 100 percent factual here. I'm taking the most vivid images and using them to create a better story._

_I mean no harm to anyone who earns their living through coal mining._

_I do not own the Dukes of Hazzard and I am not making any money for what I have written here. None of the characters in this story are based on real people, either living or dead._

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Chapter 18 – Letting Go

Daisy and Jesse were not surprised when they heard a car outside before they had even finished their morning coffee. Figuring it was Cooter come to help with the chores, Jesse went out to welcome him while Daisy quickly washed out their coffee mugs. The young woman was startled when the kitchen door opened, and Jesse returned, escorting Ken Haines.

"Ken!" the beautiful young woman greeted in surprise. "Would you like some coffee, sugar?"

With a headshake, the miserable looking young man declined. His soft brown eyes searched out her own deep blue, and he asked her to go for a walk with him. Looking to Jesse, Daisy secured silent permission, then stepped out the door behind the oldest Haines boy.

The last couple of days had somehow turned Ken's already low volume down even further. The boy had always been quiet; it was one of the things that had drawn Daisy to him when they were younger. Growing up amongst the nonstop noise of her male cousins, Daisy had not known that boys could be quiet and serious, but Ken was, and that was appealing. Right now, though, after the events of the past several days, Ken's solemnity was almost painful to be near.

"Daisy, I just wanted to thank you for bein' there for me these last few days," Ken said, watching his feet as they walked.

The soft breeze blowing through her hair made Daisy feel like perhaps this warm spell would stay; maybe it was finally getting to be spring after all. She was glad Ken had wanted to walk. It seemed like forever since she'd simply enjoyed the outdoors.

"Aw, Ken, it wasn't nothin'. You was there for me, too," Daisy answered, putting an arm around his waist. She was surprised and a little hurt when Ken gently pulled away from her. They'd grown closer over the last couple of weeks, and affection between them had become a natural thing. They stopped walking and faced one another.

"It was too, somethin' and I appreciate it. But that ain't all I came to tell you," the Haines boy said, looking away from her again. "I… me and Katie Jane talked on the way back to Hazzard. An' last night we talked to my family."

Daisy nodded, tongue stilled by the look on her friend's face.

"Me and Katie Jane, we're gonna get married. She's got that little baby of Robby's in her, and it needs a daddy, and it needs the name Haines…"

"Congratulations, sugar," Daisy said, quietly.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, sweetheart," Ken offered.

"No, it's okay, I understand," the young woman answered in a voice that indicated that it was anything other than all right. Looking off to the mountains that she and her cousins had climbed as kids, the young woman wished that she was that young again, where Bo and Luke were the only boys in her life, and she could be as sure of their love as she was that the sun would rise the next morning.

"You're a terrific gal, Daisy."

"Aw, Ken, you just shoo, now, you hear? Ain't you got a wedding to plan?" Daisy asked, not unkindly. "You better have a real one, not one of them Justice of the Peace things. I want to come," she added, "I want to dance with the groom at the reception, and wish him good luck in his new life."

"Thank you Daisy," Ken answered, kissing her on the cheek and pretending not to see the tears in her eyes.

Daisy really wanted to ask the boy she'd once dated whether he genuinely believed that he and Katie Jane could be happy, considering the reason for their marriage. But the young woman had enough life experience to know that such a question would only lead to an argument and besides, the oldest Haines brother had already made up his mind. She could see Luke doing the same thing if Bo had been the one that left a young family behind. Just as the oldest Duke cousin would give no thought to his own personal happiness, Ken was probably focused solely on Robby's widow and child. Questioning him about his decision would only be cruel.

"You just go… an' let me know if you need any help with… anything," Daisy finished lamely as she led the young man back to his car.

* * *

Luke was grateful to the Haines boy, not only for coming to get Katie Jane, who didn't need to be camping out for days in her condition, but also for bringing him another week's worth of Daisy's tips. Without them, they might well have run out of money by now. Luke had brought the camping supplies, but not enough food to last this long. And he hadn't banked on so many phone calls or newspapers, either. 

When it got near eleven o'clock, the boys went down to town in search of a payphone. Luke offered Bo the coins, trying to get him to make the call, but the youngster demurred.

"You an' Cooter need to make plans. It's okay, Luke, I understand."

"At least come an' listen in, Bo, so you'll know what we're talkin' about," the older boy had offered.

Bo shook his head, opting to stay by the car, in sight, but out of hearing range. He really did understand that Luke was the planner in the family, and he didn't feel left out of that. What he didn't want was to hear Jesse and Daisy talking to his older cousin like a man, then talking to him like a little boy. He knew he was exaggerating, and he knew he wasn't being fair. But after talking to Luke last night, and establishing what felt like a somewhat changed relationship with him, Bo didn't want to go back to being the baby of the family just yet. He knew he'd need to have a similar conversation with Daisy and Jesse before things changed, and he realized it wouldn't be half as hard as the conversation with Luke had been, but he also understood that it couldn't happen over the phone. So he'd prefer to let Luke make the call without him.

Leaning against Tilly's front fender, Bo really watched his cousin for a change, as Luke was talking to their family and friend. There was something about Luke's posture that projected a certain confidence, yes, but it also somehow said '_don't come too close_.' Thinking about it, Bo realized that Luke often stood with his arms folded across his chest, looking less than friendly. Just as he was wondering where that little mannerism had come from, the retired Marine started calling him.

"Hey, Bo! Daisy needs to talk to you."

"Aw, Luke…" The younger boy assumed she'd been put up to it by his male cousin, and he wasn't pleased.

"Come on, Bo! Hurry up! We ain't exactly got a ton of coins for this here phone!"

The teen still thought this was a set up, but his older cousin's logic with regard to money was irrefutable, so he hustled to the phone after all. Before taking it from Luke's hands, Bo's eyes shot dark blue sparks at the older boy. Luke handed over the receiver and stepped quickly away. Whatever was going on with his cousin, the brunette didn't want another fight on his hands, so he made sure to be far enough away that Bo wouldn't think he was eavesdropping.

"Hi Daisy," Bo said, anticipating some idle chit-chat that Luke had instructed her to share with him.

"Hey, Bo," his female cousin answered, and she didn't sound particularly happy. Before the teenager could ask what was wrong, Daisy went on. "I gotta tell you somethin', 'cause I don't want you to be surprised about it when you get home."

Bo considered making some kind of a joke, like maybe she had cleaned up the boys' room or something, but her tone was so sad that he didn't have the heart. He just asked her what the matter was.

"Well, I know you was helpin' Katie Jane out, an' from what Luke says, it sounds like you two was gettin' close. An' maybe you was thinkin' you'd take care of her some more when you got back here."

"What of it?" Bo snapped, irritated that Luke would tell Daisy this, and even more upset that she'd bring it up, as if it was any of her business.

"Easy, cuz. I don't mean to pry into your love life. But I did want to tell you that Ken Haines and Katie Jane are gonna get married."

"Oh." It was all the blonde could think of to say. It was true, he'd thought of taking care of Katie Jane, too, by marrying her. He didn't plan to do it right away or anything, but he did think that her child needed a father.

"I'm sorry, Bo," Daisy said.

"Naw, it's okay," he bluffed. "Listen, we're about out of change, so I better go. Love you, Daisy."

"Love you, too, sugar." It was only several minutes after they'd hung up the phones and he and Luke were back on the road that Bo realized he'd never asked his female cousin why she sounded so sad.

* * *

Jesse hated to miss the phone call from his nephews, but the main purpose of it was for Luke and Cooter to finalize their plans for getting the boys safely back into the state and Hazzard. He didn't really need to be part of that, so long as that crazy mechanic could be counted on to talk sense while explaining Jesse's role to him. 

Trusting that Daisy, Cooter, and the boys would exchange all the necessary information, the patriarch had headed off to solve another problem. Now, as the morning had somehow become evening, there was just one more stop to make. Jesse'd had mixed success, but he thought that the dissenters would come around when they saw the majority making the necessary sacrifices.

Pulling into the Strate farm, Jesse was sorry to see no sign of Enos' patrol car. It wasn't that important, really, since Jesse was here to see the boy's father anyway, but the white-haired man had always been partial to the young cop who'd never learned not to call him 'Uncle Jesse.'

Like the good small town neighbors that they were, Caleb and Franny came out to the porch and greeted Jesse before he even got to their door. He found himself ushered in and served sweet tea before he even knew what had happened. The Strate family were extremely friendly and earnest people, though Caleb was far less naïve than his only child.

"So Jesse, what brings you out this way?"

"Well, Caleb, as you know, I ain't in the 'shine business no more."

The senior Strate slapped one bony knee and laughed. "Yep, my son's puttin' us all out of business."

With a chuckle, Jesse agreed, but added, "Well, he did have some help, in my case."

"Mine, too! My own boy was gonna turn me in to that revenuer, if I didn't quit. If it'd been just Enos, I mighta kept goin'. But that Roach fella, he was tough."

"Anyways, like you, I'm growin' cotton now. An' I'm guessin' you heard about the mill."

"Rumor says it's gonna close, yeah, I heard. At least I got a decent melon crop as well; that usually gets me through summer, anyways."

"Then what Caleb?"

"I don't know."

"Do them melons bring in enough that you could see your way to donatin' a quarter of your cotton crop to the mill?" the white haired man asked, eyebrow raised.

"I… don't know Jesse. What're you talkin' about doin', here?" Caleb's words were unsure, but his tanned face showed an openness to whatever Jesse might suggest.

"Helpin' Ridge Owens get out of debt. He can't afford to buy at the regular price and keep the mill open both. But we studied on his accounting books and figured he could keep the mill open so long as he only had to pay 75 cents on the dollar. Otherwise that mill's gonna get turned into condominiums."

"We don't need no condominiums in Hazzard!" Caleb laughed. "But I could see our county commission voting to build 'em all the same, seeing as there's only one voter, and he's also the builder, am I right?"

"Right you are, Caleb."

"Jesse, you can count me in."

As he dragged his tired bones home, Jesse reflected on his final visit. He was glad he'd saved the Strates for last. They represented the best of Hazzard, and he'd known they would come through.

* * *

The older Duke boy wasn't prepared, not at all. He thought he and the blonde on the other side of the fire circle had squared everything away last night, but it turned out he was wrong, and now Luke was really considering going on that walk he'd threatened to take the night before. His younger cousin was asking him to open up about his war experiences and why he'd gone in the first place. It made sense, in its own way. Bo had talked about losing a friend in a dark and scary place, and as a result, he felt better. That was just like the youngest Duke. Now he wanted Luke to do the same, but the veteran Marine didn't operate like that. What was private stayed private, and he dealt with it alone, just fine. He didn't need the teenager after him to talk about it. 

"Luke, please."

He'd been halfway to his feet, getting ready to walk away from the small campfire and disappear into the darkness for a while, hoping the blonde would get over the idea of him talking about stuff that his little cousin had no business hearing. But with a simple _'please'_ Bo had stopped him in his tracks. He could never resist an earnest request from the boy.

"Bo, this ain't stuff you should know. It's… a bunch of things I wouldn'ta done if I was in Hazzard."

"Kinda like carryin' a tin of morphine in your pocket?" Bo asked with a smirk.

"Kinda, but worse."

"Listen, Luke. You don't gotta talk to me. I can't make you. But if you ain't gonna talk, then at least listen, okay?"

The brunette flopped back into the dirt and nodded his head, looking away from the midnight blue openness only a few feet away from him.

"You ain't never trusted nobody, not really. Not even me."

"That ain't true." There was even more gravel than usual in the depths of Luke's voice.

"Yeah, it is," Bo said, very quietly. "It's okay, though. I mean, it used to really bother me, but it don't no more."

Luke stayed silent. He didn't want to admit that Bo was right, but the only words he could think of would just wind up sounding like excuses that would prove that the blonde had a point after all.

"When you was away, in the service, I figured some of it out. And the rest I figured out since. It ain't personal, I understand."

Still unwilling to say anything, Luke nodded, at least acknowledging that his behavior, right or wrong, was not a personal rejection of his younger cousin.

"You know, as much as we had Uncle Jesse and Aunt Lavinia, and they was better to us than they ever had to be, I still missed having a mom and a dad."

"Aw, Bo," Luke began, trying to resume the comfortable role of protective older cousin, until the younger boy's raised hands prevented it.

"It don't make no sense, 'cause we both know they didn't choose to leave us, your parents or mine. But I always felt kinda… rejected, you know?"

Unsure what he was supposed to do, Luke just nodded.

"An' I know you felt the same. Like somehow, they didn't love us enough to stay. Like I said, it don't make sense, but then most feelings don't. An' I know you, you'd rather work your way around something logically than think about your feelings. But that don't mean you ain't got feelings, cousin. Just means you ain't admitting to 'em."

Luke's eyes were stinging, and he shifted a little to get out of the wood smoke. Problem was, no matter which way he moved, his eyes still bothered him.

"Anyway," Bo continued, "I know how you felt, 'cause I felt that way, too. But the difference between us was, I always knew I had you. You was older, and you taught me all the things a dad would, but you was more fun. Daisy helped too, doing some of the stuff a mom would, and of course, Uncle Jesse and Aunt Lavinia was great. But the most important thing, and the reason I _do_ trust other people, even though I felt abandoned, was because you were always there for me."

The older boy was going to have to put the fire out; that was the only thing for it. His eyes were not just burning now, they were leaking. Wood smoke had always had that effect on him. And besides, if the fire was out, his cousin wouldn't be able to see him wiping at his cheeks, which he was going to have to do any minute now. He brought his knees up to his chest.

"I just… I want you to know, Luke, that even though I'm your _little_ cousin, I'm always here for you, too, you know? I'll be there, whatever it is that you need. An' there ain't nothin' you could tell me about the Marines or the war that would scare me off, or make me walk away from you."

Luke was going to have to stomp out that fire right now…

"An' it ain't 'cause I owe you, though I do. An' it ain't 'cause you need it, though I think you do, even though you always say you don't. It's just 'cause you're you, and I love you."

Luke could blame the fire for what was going on with his eyes, but not the sounds that were coming from his throat. He had no explanation for that, so he just dropped his head to his knees and let his eyes and throat do what they wanted. And within seconds he felt an arm around his shoulders.

"Shh, Luke, it's okay. I'm here, you know, whenever you got somethin' to say. Or even if you don't."

Luke ought to have punched Bo for bringing him to this, but instead he laid his head on the younger boy's shoulder, and let go. He wasn't afraid. After all, his little cousin had promised to catch him.


	19. A Slow Motion Kiss

_Hi all! Thanks to everyone who has been reading, and special thanks to those who take the time to review._

_I don't own the Dukes or any of the main charaters, and although this story does incorporate some real events, none of the characters are based on real people, either living or dead._

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Chapter 19 – A Slow Motion Kiss

Cooter had been grinning to himself all day. He had, with Daisy's help, delivered the object he'd promised, stashing it in the agreed upon little hollow, just over the state line. Luke had described the place perfectly, so Cooter knew he was in the right area as soon as he got there. And just as the older Duke boy had promised, there was a thicket there, just perfect for hiding the thing until it was needed.

Now it was his job to make sure that no one representing the Hazzard County Sheriff's Department was covering that part of the state line. It would be getting dark in a couple of hours, and those Duke boys had been gone for two weeks now. The boys' grubby friend knew they were eager to get home. Those two would start the plan as soon as the sun disappeared, no doubt about that.

Spotting his target, he sprinted over to where Rosco was swaggering towards a patrol car.

"Hey, Rosco!" Cooter greeted with a mile-wide smile.

"Cooter! Ain't you got some cars to fix or somethin'?"

"Well, yeah, Rosco, but I just thought I'd be neighborly and say hi. You been so busy lately, I ain't hardly seen you. An' look at that, your bumper needs poundin' out and you could use a new rear quarter panel there on the right…"

"Gij! Cooter! I don't need you takin' inventory of my vehicle's scuffs, now. I ain't got time to get them fixed, anyways." With a small, tight smile, the Sheriff added, "I'm an important man, you know. Got important business catchin' criminals, khee-khee!"

"All right, Rosco, I won't get in your way then. Say," the mechanic asked conspiratorially, "You workin' on somethin' big?"

"Real big. But, gyu, that's police business, Cooter. I can't be talkin' about it with the likes of you."

"Aw, you ain't gotta tell me who you're after or nothin'. I just wanna hear the details of the trap you're settin'. Why, if my daddy didn't own that garage over there, I think I woulda been a deputy myself. I love police work." Choir-boy innocence oozed from Cooter's every pore.

"Tiddly-tuddly, you ain't cut out for police work. An' of course I ain't gonna tell you nothin' about the trap we're settin'. You know dang well we're after them Dukes."

"Daisy and Jesse? What'd they do?"

"Kyu." For split second, Rosco's face showed confusion. Then regaining his focus, the sheriff sputtered, "No, not Daisy and Jesse! Bo and Luke! We know they've been out of the state, an' we're gonna catch 'em coming back in."

"Oh." The mechanic scratched his head. "So long as you stay off of Route 21, everything should be all right."

"Route 21?" Rosco said, head cocked and smiling. "Ooh, Cooter Davenport! Why should we stay off of Route 21?"

"Did I say 21? I meant 7! Definitely 7!" Under all the grease, Cooter's face paled.

"Now don't you try that trick on me, Cooter! I heard you say 21! Khee-khee," the sheriff giggled as he got into his patrol car and picked up the CB microphone. With one final look at the mechanic, he slammed the door and drove off, chattering into his CB all the way.

Confusion still showing through the stains on his face, Cooter began muttering to himself, "Was it Route 7, or was it 21?" Then a giant grin broke out. "Oh, I remember now, it wasn't neither of those…" With a laugh, the filthy young man headed back to the garage to await his next move.

* * *

Luke grinned when he found what he was looking for. His smile grew wider as Bo began to inspect it.

"Don't look like much, Luke," he said, running his hand along the body of an older Dodge, which was rusted in places and covered with Bondo primer.

"It ain't supposed to, Bo." He walked around to the hood, popping the latch. "But look here."

As he came around front, Bo's indigo eyes began to glow and his grin grew.

"Don't that look purty in there. I guess it runs?"

"I guess, since Cooter got it here. B'sides, it's the fastest engine in all of Georgia, just like we promised each other. It not only runs – it flies!"

"Yeah!" Bo said, grabbing Luke around the shoulders and letting out a holler, "It flies!"

"Shh, Bo. We're pretty close to the Hazzard line. Don't want to bring our friends out this way… not yet."

Bo did his best to contain himself, but the excitement of what was to come was almost more than he could control.

"Okay, Bo, this car is yours, and I'll stay in Tilly. You just be sure you get my signal before you come in, all right?"

"You got it, Luke."

"An' remember, unmarked cars is just as dangerous as marked ones. We don't know who might be working for ol' Rosco."

"Right." Bo paused for a minute, waiting to see if there were any more instructions. When it appeared that his cousin was done, Bo spoke again. "Luke?"

"Yeah, Bo?"

"You be careful, now."

Misty blue eyes showed rare warmth, as Luke regarded his younger cousin.

"You too, cuz."

Settling into the car that Cooter had assembled by installing the Duke boys' recently completed engine into the body of a older model Dodge Charger that he'd found in an Atlanta junkyard, Bo felt at home. The interior of the car lacked for comforts, what with only a front bench seat and a roll cage. However, it was equipped with a CB, a steering wheel, gas pedal, brakes, clutch and a stick shift. Bo didn't need anything more. Starting the powerful engine and revving once or twice, he gave his dark haired cousin a thumbs up and followed him back up into the Tennessee foothills to wait for full dark.

* * *

Jesse was sure that the foolish mechanic must have left out half of the instructions or something. There was nothing more irritating than being the one who had to sit and wait, but that was Jesse's role.

The Duke patriarch had felt tired for a long time, maybe since the day his boys had gotten caught running some of his 'shine across the Uchee River. In the two weeks his youngest had been gone, Jesse had barely dragged himself through his days, he was so exhausted. He knew his family would want him to visit Doc Petticord if they realized just how tired he was, but it wouldn't do any good. Jesse Duke wasn't a young man any more. It was natural that he would slow down, and one day, not tomorrow or anything, but before another fifteen years had passed, he expected to stop altogether. But there was no reason to tell his kids that, not now.

Tonight, though, for the first time since last summer, the white haired man was full of energy. Some part of that had to do with his boys coming home, no question about it. But he was pretty sure that this surge was more in response to the fact that tonight he'd be coming closer to moonshine running than he'd been able to since he'd made that deal with the Federal Government.

Maybe he wasn't in such a hurry for his boys to start acting like adults after all.

* * *

Sitting in the twilight, Bo was getting anxious. His older cousin had driven away a few minutes ago, but had warned him that he should prepare to cool his heels for awhile. Luke wasn't going to make his own move until full on dark, and Bo had to wait for the other boy's signal.

He trusted his cousin implicitly, just as he always had. But tonight, if possible, his confidence in Luke was even greater. For Bo, bravery manifested itself in actions, like bounding into a fight to protect a friend, or jumping a car over the Uchee River in an attempt to prevent a prison sentence for himself and his cousin. When it came to Luke, the bravest thing he could do would be to talk about something very personal. And finally, last night, he had.

_"Why did you do it, Luke? Why did you sign up voluntarily? You knew you'd wind up in __'Nam__…" _

_They were still sitting by the fire, which by now was hardly more than embers. They hadn't fed or even stoked it in hours. _

_"It ain't simple, Bo. It was a lot of reasons. Like, I thought they'd draft me, an' I was just too stubborn to go 'cause they told me to. I was only gonna go if it was my decision." _

_The boys chuckled, but only a little. It was too true to be very funny, after all. _

_"An' I really did think that somehow if I went, I could manage to keep them from takin' you when you got to be of age. Like I could end the war single handed or somethin'." Luke shook his head at his foolishness. "Maybe it was mostly that I was so naïve at the time. I thought, how could the Viet Cong be any worse than J.D. Hogg?" A grim smile made its way across Luke's lips, never even getting close to his eyes. _

_"Aw, Luke…" Bo said, intuiting some of his cousin's pain. He'd seen enough of the war on television and in the gory color photos of news magazines he'd never had the money to buy, but could look at in Rhuebottom's store. He used to stare at the glossy pages, unable to stop himself. Though the images made him fear the worst for his cousin, they somehow brought him closer as well, giving Bo a visual image to go with what he already imagined the older boy was experiencing on the other side of the world. _

_"Well, you know, I learned somethin'. As lousy as ol' Boss Hogg can be, he don't come out in the night killin' people like that." _

_Bo just nodded; there was nothing he could say. _

_"But you know, one of the reasons I went was… kind of what you said earlier. You know, about feeling abandoned?" _

_"Yeah," Bo said, his voice cracking a little. _

_"Well, yeah, I felt that way, too, but you're so much better than me, Bo. You don't go takin' these things out on other people. I was takin' it out on Jesse. I was makin' it hard on him, an' settin' a terrible example for you…" _

_"No, you wasn't. Not really…" But, as Bo thought back, he could remember some pretty serious flare ups between Jesse and Luke; words being exchanged about wild behavior and drinking and driving. "Well, at least it wasn't as bad as you think. I know you was doin' some stuff that you shouldn'ta, but it wasn't all the time or anything." _

_"It was enough. I remember when I decided I needed to go, Bo. We'd been out playin' some one-on-one football." Both boys smirked at the memory of those games. They hadn't played in such a long time now. "Anyways, I had taught you how to fake left but go right, an' that's what you was supposed to do, but you always went barreling straight up the middle anyway. So instead, I showed you how to really use your shoulder. An' when it worked, you looked at me like I was… I don't know, someone really special. Someone you idolized, I guess. And I realized that what I was plannin' on doin' that night was goin' out and getting drunk an' takin' some girl, any girl, out to Hazzard Pond. And… I didn't want you looking up to that. I figured that if I wasn't here, you'd be lookin' up to Uncle Jesse, and he was a much better role model." Luke looked down. He hadn't felt ashamed of his behavior during his late teen years in quite a while, but now, retelling it to his younger cousin, he was sorry all over again. _

_"It wasn't as bad as you remember it, Luke. There was a ton of good things you was doin', too…" _

_"Maybe. But, you know, as much as joining the Marines was a mistake in a whole lot of ways, I don't really regret it. I grew up so much, and I learned just how lucky I really was to have Jesse, Daisy… and you. I never realized how special you was until I thought I might never see you again." _

_Bo placed his arm around Luke's shoulders, and they looked at each other, unashamed of the tears in each of their eyes. _

_"Bo, I know you been feelin' all along like you're the one who got us put out of the moonshine business. But that kind of guilt, it only leads to bad decisions, you know? You gotta let it go. An'… don't let things get to a point where you think you might never see the people you love again before you come to your senses. Let go of the guilt and work things out at home with your family instead of alone in a foreign jungle or a dark mine." _

_"I love you, cousin," Bo said, putting his other arm around Luke. _

_"I love you, too, Bo," Luke answered, returning the hug. _

The youngest Duke never doubted that his cousin had done dozens of gutsy things in the war, but to Bo, nothing could possibly have matched the totally selfless act of opening up and talking about things he'd never wanted to, last night.

* * *

"Lost sheep to Shepherd, Lost Sheep to Shepherd, you got your ears on?"

Jesse jumped at his cue. Finally, some action. He was more than ready.

"You got Shepherd here, Lost Sheep. You all ready?"

"10-4, Shepherd. We're comin' at eight o'clock, an' we'll meet you at the rendezvous by 8:15."

"10-4, Luke… er Lost Sheep. See you there." Jesse smiled. It might have been awhile since he'd played this game, but he hadn't lost his touch, not at all. Putting the old pickup into drive, Jesse began to roll towards Route 7.

* * *

Cooter and Daisy looked at each other and grinned. They were in Cooter's distinctive tow truck, cruising Route 21. The mechanic knew that somewhere roughly parallel to him and about 10 miles away, Jesse Duke was doing the same on Route 7. Both of these roads led from Hazzard straight into Tennessee. There were other ways to get out of the state, but these two were the most commonly used, at least by those with nothing to hide. Moonshiners had all kinds of ways in and out of Hazzard.

When he got to the crossroads, the mechanic picked up his CB microphone.

"This is Crazy Cooter callin' one Lukas Dukas, you got your ears on?"

"You got Lost Sheep here, Cooter. What's your 20?"

"I'm about to turn towards Jacob's Cr- er I mean, I'm about four minutes from the rendezvous."

"All right, it's a go."

* * *

"Gijit!" The sheriff and his deputy had been sitting on the side of Route 21, waiting for those probation breaking Dukes. As a precaution, they'd posted two members of their posse on Route 7. Rosco had chosen wisely, selecting the Ledbetter brothers for that little detail. He didn't know how Ernie and Luke had grown to be such nasty competitors over the years, but he was quite sure that if either Ledbetter brother saw the Dukes coming, they'd make sure those boys got stopped one way or another.

The men in uniform had situated themselves with one car facing each way so that their open driver's side windows were next to one another. Rosco's CB unit was tuned to channel 24, one that the Dukes and Cooter were known to use much of the time. Enos' radio, meanwhile, was on the police band, so he could communicate with the Ledbetter brothers and the other two cars that were hidden nearby.

"Didja hear that Enos?"

"Yes sir!"

"Well do ya know what it means?"

Enos desperately wanted to get the answer right. As he was doing his mental calculations, his boss interrupted him.

"Ijit! Enos, you dipstick! It means they ain't comin' in here, they're comin' in over Jacob's Creek Bridge, onto Jacob's Creek Road. An' if Cooter's only four minutes from there, we got to get there in three! Just, gij, just get movin', will ya?"

Enos pulled forward just as Rosco hit the gas. Of course, the sheriff had forgotten that when they'd aligned themselves this way, the last thing he had done was to back himself into position. He'd never shifted into neutral, so he was still in reverse when he put his foot on the accelerator. With the sound of bending metal, two cruisers met in a slow motion kiss.

"Enos!" Rosco snapped, even as he reached to shift gears on the column of his steering wheel.

"Sorry, Sheriff!" Enos answered.

The cars shrieked as they were pulled in opposite directions; two lovers in no hurry to part. As Enos wheeled around, Rosco broadcast a 10-99, calling all Hazzard law enforcers, whether temporary or permanent, to Jacob's Creek Road.

* * *

On the hill overlooking Route 21, a Duke boy grinned. He watched as the two police cruisers ran into each other before heading south on the roadway, then saw two other unmarked cars come out of the bushes and follow. Counting half a hundred Mississippis before putting the car into first, the Duke boy headed down the hill, and crossed into Georgia without alerting even the sparrows sleeping on branches that overhung the road.

About a mile and a half into Hazzard County, he turned left onto a dirt trail, headed for the agreed upon location. Another crossroads lurked up ahead on the very dark road. Almost before he knew what had happened, a white police cruiser pulled across the road in front of him, blocking his path. Before he could even think, another cruiser pulled in behind him, preventing him from backing out of the situation.

"All right, you Dukes!" The sheriff had gotten out of the lead car and was bearing down on him, gun drawn. The Duke boy had no choice but to surrender. Within seconds, Enos had him out of the car and in handcuffs. In the background he could hear Daisy and Cooter's voices, but he couldn't see them, and he wasn't about to try any quick moves, not with the sheriff's gun still aimed at him.


	20. Welcome Back

_Hey, all - short notes this time. Thanks to those who have been reading all along, and double thanks to those who have been reviewing._

_I do not own the Dukes or any of the settings for this story, and although there are some real events, none of the characters are based on any actual people, either living or dead._

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Chapter 20 – Welcome Back

"Rosco, put that pea-shooter away, wouldja? I ain't resistin'. Though I'd really like to know what the charge is."

"You just, just you button it, Luke Duke. I don't need no sass."

"All right, all right, Rosco, I ain't sassing you," Luke answered reasonably. "I just wanna know what I'm being charged with."

"Ijit!" The sheriff provided by way of explanation, finally holstering his weapon.

By this time Daisy's voice was much closer, and Luke could hear Cooter as well. It sounded like they were arguing with some of the temporary help, trying to get closer to Luke and the "real" Hazzard lawmen.

Now that the gun was safely tucked away, Luke turned to face his captors.

"I'm sorry, Luke," Enos offered sincerely.

"Gij! Enos! What're you sorry for? We got 'im red handed!"

"Yeah, Rosco, you got me, but you still ain't said what for." Luke held his cuffed hands up in the light that was coming from Rosco's patrol car. "Don't see no red," he commented, "'Cept where these little toy bracelets are chafing me. You need to get some decent handcuffs, Rosco."

"Just hush now. Where's that cousin of yours?"

"Daisy? She's over there makin' mincemeat out of your rent-a-cops. You really ought to be more selective," Luke suggested helpfully.

"Ijit! No not Daisy. Enos, stop worryin' about Daisy over there and search this car. You're lookin' for Bo Duke and moonshine."

"Bo? You can see in the car, Rosco, you got that blamed spotlight shinin' right in there. Where do you think I got Bo hid? Under the seat?"

"Gyu," Rosco offered as his answer. "Under the… No, I don't think he's under the seat! Enos, you just check for moonshine."

"Yes, sir, Sheriff!" Enos answered, eager to make his boss happy. He wished Luke would be a little more respectful of Rosco, seeing as how his smart-mouthed answers only seemed to be agitating the older cop.

"What're you gonna charge me with when you find out there ain't no moonshine back there?" Luke asked, using his shoulder to gesture towards Tilly's trunk.

"Khee, well, I got you for breakin' your probation and goin' across state lines."

Luke heard a commotion to his left, in the neighborhood of where Daisy and Cooter were arguing with the Ledbetter brothers and their colleagues. Looking in that direction, both he and the sheriff watched as Jesse Duke strolled past the hired help, ignoring their loud suggestions that he halt.

Turning back to the lawman, Luke smiled. "Rosco, I'm a good mile, at least, inside of Georgia right now. An' you stopped me right here. It ain't like you caught me comin' across state lines or nothin'. Why, I been huntin' and campin' for two weeks, so how could I be crossin' state lines?"

"Gijit! Well, you… Gijit!" Rosco explained.

"Rosco Coltrane. What exactly are you up to, you scheming reprobate?" Jesse's eyes were cold and hard and fixed on the aging lawman.

"Well, Luke here was drivin' this old moonshine runner, and so, gyu, I stopped him."

"You know we Dukes made a deal with the government not to make or sell no 'shine. What makes you think I'd let Luke, there, break it?"

Before Rosco could answer, Enos spoke up from back by Tilly's trunk. "Sheriff? There ain't nothin' in here except some campin' supplies. There ain't no 'shine, and no Bo, neither."

Luke snickered. "It's been probably ten years since the last time I stuffed Bo into the trunk of a car."

Before the Duke boy could get much mirth out of the memory, Jesse reminded him, "And you didn't sit down for two whole days afterward, neither."

By now the local boys were getting tired of playing cops and robbers, and they became more interested in the discussion between Rosco and the Dukes. This allowed Daisy and Cooter to join the entire group that was standing between the two cruisers.

Turning his attention away from his oldest charge, Jesse resumed his calm interrogation of Rosco. "All right, there ain't no 'shine on the boy or in the car. So what're you holdin' him for?"

"Gyu, breakin' probation by crossin' over into Tennessee," the Sheriff answered, a little shakily.

"We ain't in Tennessee, Rosco."

"No, we ain't. Gij! But he was!"

"Now, what makes you say that, Rosco? Did you see him over there?"

"Gyu…" The sheriff looked at his deputy. Even if the older cop had considered stretching the truth a little bit, Enos wouldn't have let him. "No, I didn't."

"Well, if he ain't got no moonshine and you didn't see him crossin' the state line and don't have no evidence that he did… why is he still wearing handcuffs?"

"Uh. Ijit! Enos, will you get these handcuffs off this boy? What's takin' you so long?"

"Yes sir, Sheriff." Enos felt doubly blessed. This was a moment when he could both obey his boss and set a Duke free. Those two things almost never coincided.

"All right, Luke Duke, you're just lucky this time. I catch you out here again and I'm gonna cuff ya and stuff ya for real." Suddenly realizing just how many witnesses there were to his defeat, Rosco lost what little control he had over his tongue. "Giji-goo! What're you all doin' standin' there? You just, you go home, you Ledbetters and you Wilson boys. You're misdissed… demissed… you just git! Gyu, you ain't been helpful, an' Boss, he ain't gonna want to pay you no more. Enos!"

"Yes sir?" the deputy asked, his face wrinkled in his effort to follow along with what his boss was saying.

"You get back out there on patrol, gij! You done, you done messed this up now, and I don't wanna see you lollygagging around here no more."

"Yes, sir. And welcome back, Luke," the deputy added in parting.

Luke's eyebrows went up. Enos wasn't as naïve as he seemed, apparently.

"An' I'm gonna find your no-good cousin, too," Rosco added with as much menace as he could muster, standing there next to his car and sputtering. "I'm gonna find him and then I'm gonna get him, I'm gonna get him…" The sheriff's ongoing mutterings were muffled as he slammed his door and put his foot on the accelerator. Three Dukes and a Davenport ducked their heads away as the patrol car kicked up dirt and gravel before the tires dug deep enough to get a grip and spin off.

Daisy flung herself at Luke in a way that got his attention. She was certainly an affectionate girl, but there was a certain amount of desperation to this hug. Her older cousin attributed this behavior to the fact that they'd all been so worried about Bo, coupled with the stress of the night.

"Hey, sweetheart, you tryin' to break my ribs or somethin'?" he asked with a smile, using his jovial tone to try to bring her to a more relaxed state of mind. "No matter how hard you try Daisy-girl, you can't get any closer to me than you are right now."

Responding as her cousin knew she would, Daisy stepped back. "Pee-yew, Luke Duke. I don't wanna get no closer. You smell like you ain't had a bath in two weeks."

"Well, I ain't. It's called being rugged. It drives the girls wild, you know. It's manly."

Daisy giggled. "Yeah, right. You need a bath as soon as you get home and no arguin'. An' you better scrape them whiskers off your face, too."

"All right, all right," her cousin answered, stepping back from her to accept Jesse's hug, followed by Cooter's rough greeting.

"Lukas, you old cuss! You're a sight for sore eyes, buddy, even if you are a little ugly." The mechanic winked at Daisy. "Now where's that good looking Duke boy?"

"Yeah, where is Bo?"

Luke shrugged and slid back behind Tilly's steering wheel. "I don't know; I'm sure he'll be along directly." The older Duke boy started the old Ford and waited for everyone else to scramble to the cars they'd left stashed well back into the woods as they'd awaited Luke's little confrontation with the law. When he saw their headlights in his side view mirrors, he put the car into gear and led the parade back to the farm.

Jesse wasn't yet entirely at peace. The Duke patriarch was slightly disappointed that things with Rosco had gone as easily as they had. He'd been gearing himself up for a good, old-fashioned showdown. But mostly he was anxious about his younger boy. Luke's casual confidence in the teenager was only but so helpful in alleviating his uncle's fears.

The old man was glad Daisy had decided to ride with him instead of their mechanic friend. It gave him a chance to reach over and squeeze her hand.

"What was that for, Uncle Jesse?"

"Just 'cause I love you Daisy-girl." He didn't add the he knew she was feeling a little melancholy. Tonight was about the boys' homecoming. Tomorrow would be a time for sorting things out.

As the convoy pulled into the farmyard, the old man's eyes tricked him. He was sure he'd seen Bo sitting on the porch, casually sipping at a glass of milk. He intentionally pulled the truck around so that the headlights would catch the front of the house, and was startled to see the blonde apparition move to shade its eyes. Almost before the pickup was stopped, Daisy was bounding out and sprinting for her little cousin, letting him catch her as she threw herself into his arms.

With more self-restraint than he'd thought he had, Jesse managed to park the truck before climbing out. As he approached his youngest, he saw Bo's Adam's apple bouncing around like crazy, though he wasn't drinking the milk just now. Jesse felt about the same, and he swallowed a few times, looking into the young man's apprehensive eyes.

"Come here son," the old man said, though he'd already closed the distance between them. In the next few moments, with the last of his three children in his arms, Jesse Duke lost all sense of time and place. All that mattered was that Bo had come back.

* * *

After the initial greetings were out of the way Jesse looked from one to the other of his nephews, both of whom had self-satisfied smirks on their faces. 

"All right, boys," their uncle began, "You mind explaining how Bo got here? I think your friend there," he jabbed a finger at Cooter, "Forgot to tell me some part of the plan."

"Aw, no, not Cooter," Luke grinned in mock defense of his friend. "He'd never do that."

"Don't go blamin' me, Uncle Jesse," the mechanic stepped up quickly. "I only knew that Luke was going to be the bait. I didn't have no idea of how Bo was gonna come in."

"Well, I kinda made that part up myself," Bo explained. "Luke, he just told me what to listen for and where to stay away from. The rest he let me choose for myself."

Luke shrugged. "Ain't none of us can drive like you, Bo. When it comes to figurin' out the best place to jump Hazzard Creek, you don't need your older cousin tellin' you nothing."

Jesse watched this exchange carefully. There was something different about the way his boys were relating to one another. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it seemed to make both of them happier, so whatever it was, he was glad for it.

With uncharacteristic awareness, Cooter recognized that this was a night for family, and as much as the Dukes often treated him like a member of their clan, he wasn't. Providing explanations that no one paid attention to anyway, the mechanic excused himself.

Not long after, Daisy and Luke slipped inside, realizing that their uncle and Bo had some things to resolve between them. The oldest Duke cousin was about to heed Daisy's strongly worded suggestion about hitting the shower, when he caught her eye again. He suddenly changed direction and sat himself down on the sofa beside his female cousin.

"Hey, cuz, what's goin' on?" He tapped her temple gently to convey exactly what he was asking.

"Did Bo tell you that Ken's gonna marry Katie Jane?"

"Yeah, he was pretty upset at first, but the more we talked about it, the more he realized that he wasn't exactly ready to be a dad anyways. He wanted to help her, but… But you ain't worried about that, are you?" It wasn't that Daisy wouldn't be concerned about how Bo felt; it was more that what he saw in her eyes came closer to sorrow than worry.

"Well, I was, a little. But no, that ain't what's botherin' me. It's more… when you boys was away, I spent a lot of time with Ken. He was the only one who really seemed to understand what I was feelin', you know?"

Luke nodded. He'd seen a similar relationship build between his other cousin and Katie Jane.

"I don't know, I guess I thought somethin' was happenin' there, but it wasn't."

"Maybe somethin' was happenin' Daisy. Losing a brother… it makes you think different. Maybe if Robby had been okay, you woulda got together."

"Maybe. But you know what, Luke? It ain't about Ken, not really."

Luke sighed. He'd never understand girls, not even his cousin. But he'd listen anyway, and try to offer sage advice. "What's it about, then?"

"It's about… it's about me missin' Andy." Daisy looked into her older cousin's misty blue eyes, so different from the rest of the family's darker hues. She feared what she'd see there, but if Luke wasn't thrilled to hear her confession about still caring for Agent Roach, the revenuer that had busted the boys for hauling 'shine last summer, he didn't let on. "When I was with him was the only time I felt… like there was just two of us in the world sometimes, you know?"

Luke nodded, surprised to find he did get it after all. As the only girl in the family, Daisy was left out of certain things, and she'd never complained, but it was obvious that it bothered her sometimes. That bond she'd had with Andy made her feel special in a way she'd never felt before. The oldest cousin didn't have any words of wisdom for Daisy, though, so he just offered her a hug. When she accepted, he chuckled slightly.

"What?" his cousin of the fairer sex asked, unable to keep from smiling herself as she heard the deep sound coming from his chest, where her ear was pressed.

"I may stink, but I'll do in a pinch, huh?"

"Good point. You get in the shower now, Luke Duke, or you'll learn a new meaning for the word 'pinch.'"

"All right, all right, I don't need those girly-claws in my side. I'm goin'." He squeezed his cousin once more before letting go.

"I missed you guys, Luke."

With a wink, her older cousin answered, "Missed you too."

* * *

Though he had planned on waiting until the next day to straighten things out between himself and Bo, Jesse could see the fear in the youngster's eyes. It was clear that they'd both sleep better if they could make peace tonight. After Luke and Daisy excused themselves, Jesse searched his mind for how to approach this. Before he'd come up with an answer, his youngest spoke. 

"I'm sorry, Uncle Jesse."

A wry smile crossed the old man's face. He knew the boy was sorry; of course he was. This was the child that acted first and thought later, a trait that led to a lot of apologies.

"You 'bout scared me to death, Bo," his uncle answered honestly.

"I know. But you never told us about Uncle Carleton."

Jesse nodded. "Luke told you, huh? Well, it's true I ain't talked about him, but that don't mean you didn't deliberately go off and do what I told you not to."

"I know. I was just tryin'… I was tryin' to do what I thought was best, though, you know?" Bo struggled to express himself. He'd finally managed to get Luke to understand, and now he somehow needed to convey the same thing to his uncle, the man who'd raised him to be obedient to family and question authority, not vice versa.

"Best wouldn't be gettin' yourself killed, Bo."

"I know that, Uncle Jesse!" Bo answered, his voice rising, even though he knew it would likely make things worse. "I wasn't plannin' on gettin' killed, though. I didn't really know what I was gettin' into. I thought I could handle it… Oh, you're right, I shoulda listened." Bo dropped his head, giving up on trying to explain.

Jesse put a hand on the teen's shoulder. This was his youngest, after all. Unlike Luke, who was at his best when backed into a corner, Bo worked better when given a little space.

"Maybe I shoulda listened to you, a little. Tell me, Bo, why'd you go?"

"Because I wanted to do my part. When things get bad, you and Luke start makin' plans and doin' stuff to make it better. And Daisy brings in money, too. I'm the only one that isn't part of workin' this stuff out. It made sense when I was still in school, but now I ain't anymore, Jesse. I'm grown up. So, I saw that we needed money, and I could have earned some, or I thought I could."

"It ain't your fault there was a blast, son. You woulda earned money. I just didn't want you earnin' black lung along with a paycheck, you understand?"

"I do, Uncle Jesse. More than I ever thought, after what happened to Robby."

"It's a hard thing, knowin' someone who died like that, and knowin' it coulda been you."

"Yes, sir, it is. It's helped me to understand Luke a little better. An' you, too, losin' all your brothers like you did. That musta hurt somethin' awful. I'm sorry about that, Uncle Jesse."

The patriarch was glad it was dark so that Bo couldn't see the tears that his words brought to the old man's eyes. Of all the people that had expressed their sympathies over the years, no one had touched him the way Bo had just now.

"Thank you, son." After a few moments of silence, the patriarch added, "You ever do somethin' like that again and you won't be able to sit for two weeks, you understand me?"

"Yes, sir."


	21. We're Gonna Be Number One

_Hi all. Just one more reminder that while the mine explosions in Oven Fork, Kentucky really happened, the details were all created by me. So the thing that will come up in this chapter didn't really happen either, it's mine. _

_Mumble, grumble and other unpritable things about alerts and other nonfunctioning aspects of the site. But thanks to you all for keeping up anyway! And special thanks to those who have been reviewing!_

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Chapter 21 – We're Gonna Be Number One

The second half of March wasn't a lot easier than the first had been. All the Dukes were back under one roof, something Jesse gave thanks for every night before they ate whatever either he or Daisy had managed to scrape together for a meal. The cotton grew, and the family was at least somewhat assured that the crop would have a buyer when the spring progressed into summer. The fact that it would only sell at three-fourths of its worth was of some concern, but the family had more immediate problems, such as keeping themselves in the black until it was ready to be harvested.

Daisy worked as many extra shifts as she could. There was no such thing as overtime pay, not in Boss Hogg's establishment. But one look at the young woman's dazzling smile brought tip money out of any man's pocket, and even after Boss had skimmed his take, Daisy was able to bring home enough cash to replenish her tip jar. Of course, it got raided again on a weekly basis, as the family shopped for that which they could not grow. Daisy's work schedule had an added bonus, though. It kept her busy at a time when she might otherwise be tempted to dwell on the past or worry about the future.

The boys took odd jobs wherever they could find them. Cooter hired them for a day when he was backlogged, but that was only once, and they couldn't be sure it wasn't some kind of charity anyway. Most of the rest of the people in town were in no position to pay the Dukes for anything they did, so jobs providing actual income were few and far between. Bo, however, managed to secure a few paying gigs on his own. Luke made a point to stay away from those projects, letting Bo earn cash without him.

As March turned into April, the Duke cousins found themselves attending a bittersweet affair; the wedding of Ken Haines and Katie Jane Johnson-Haines. The slight curvature of Katie Jane's stomach would normally have set Hazzard tongues to wagging, if everyone hadn't already known the story behind it. Instead of gossiping about the bride's condition, the small town chattered about the death of her first husband. After all, they had to talk about something.

Unable to help himself, even if he hid it from his youngest cousin, Luke watched both Bo and Daisy carefully throughout the day. True to her word, Daisy did dance with Ken at the reception, and she wished both the bride and groom well. If she seemed a little quiet, it was only her family that noticed, and she brightened considerably as events progressed. The young beauty danced with some of the other young men from Hazzard, including one particularly clumsy deputy who brought a half-amused, half-fond smile to her face.

Bo was a little more awkward. He'd become genuinely fond of Katie Jane, above and beyond the way he'd taken care of her. And whenever they had run into one another around town, it was clear to both of them that they shared a bond that no one else would ever understand. It might not have been a pleasant connection, seeing as it was really all about having been a part of the adventure that had killed someone they each cared about, but it was unmistakable all the same.

Luke watched as Bo stood at the periphery of the group that was congratulating the couple, obviously trying to decide whether or not to step up and offer his own good wishes. Finally, Ken pulled the blonde in with a handshake. From there Bo turned to Katie Jane and seemed say whatever words he'd come to speak. A spontaneous gesture of affection was exchanged between the blonde and the young woman, before her attention was called elsewhere, and suddenly Bo was standing alone. Chuckling slightly and shaking his head, Bo walked off to a quiet corner.

Not sure whether he'd be welcome or not, Luke drifted towards his youngest cousin. He'd learned to approach the boy a little more carefully now, somehow straddling the line between protective older sibling and peer. As long as Bo felt he had the older boy's respect, he was as open as ever. It was all in how Luke phrased things.

"Hey, cuz, how's it going?" A neutral question; Luke only hoped Bo wouldn't read the concern in it.

With a slight snort, Bo answered, "All right, I guess. It's just kinda weird seeing Katie Jane gettin' married again."

For the first time, Luke realized that Bo was the only one who'd been present for both of the girl's weddings. "I think Robby would understand, don't you?"

"Yeah, he'd be better with Ken marryin' her than if I had."

"You still thinkin' about that?" Until today Luke thought the teen had let go of this, but he was forever learning just how much went on in both of his younger cousins' minds.

"I don't know, I hadn't been, but now I feel kinda like I did right after she left us in Chattanooga. It's like, nothing I tried to take responsibility for worked out. It ain't that I really wish I'd been standing next to her, more like, I wish something I did actually made things better, you know?"

"Yeah." These were the conversations that had become so much harder for Luke. Whereas in the past he would have reassured his cousin that he always made things better, it seemed like that wasn't what Bo wanted from him anymore. "I guess you kinda have to take the small victories, sometimes. Like that you made things better for Katie Jane right after Robby was killed. Bigger accomplishments, they come less often."

"I guess," Bo said. Then, pulling what his older cousin recognized as a typical Bo Duke turn around, he grinned and clapped Luke on the shoulder. "Hey, don't Mary Elizabeth look terrific today? Think I'll go say hello."

"Mary Elizabeth? Shoot, cousin, she's okay if you like a giraffe. Me, I think I'll go visit with Julie, over there."

With a shrug, indicating disinterest in Luke's choice, Bo answered, "Suit yourself. She's kinda old, but then, so are you…"

* * *

The Dukes kept one thing in their back pocket, however. It wasn't a wallet, but given a chance, it might actually provide exactly what the family needed by way of cash. 

The Jefferson Davis Hogg Derby was an annual mid-April race that promised not only excitement, but certain rewards as well. Bo and Luke could really do without the Hogg Cup, which was about as unattractive as the man it was named for. But the cash prize was sizable, and could ensure that the mortgage on the Duke farm was paid through the fall.

Of course, in order to win, the boys had to enter, and this was an expensive event. It was one in which all the entrants' monies were pooled and then split 50/50 between the winner and the namesake, one J.D. Hogg. The greedy man in white always intended to bring in all the cash himself by making sure that his own car won. Enos Strate would be compelled to drive for Boss; as the one who signed the deputy's paychecks, the commissioner could make him drive without additional pay. The good natured young cop was only too willing anyway; as a former 'shine runner, he had a certain amount of skill behind the wheel, which was largely going to waste in the Hazzard County Sheriff's Department. It wasn't like there weren't frequent car chases for him to take part in, but the disastrous driving skills of his older compatriot, the sheriff, had a tendency to lead to two-cruiser wrecks on a pretty much constant basis.

Hazzardites were a competitive lot. Even though Boss Hogg had found ways to win almost every Derby since the first time the race was run, each driver thought they were better than the rest and had a more than reasonable chance to win. Bo and Luke hadn't ever entered before, largely because Bo had been underage and Luke had been overseas. But this was going to be their year, they were sure of it.

In addition to coming up with the entry fee, the boys needed to keep their newly assembled car a secret. If Boss knew about it, he'd probably change the entry rules to exclude either the car or the Duke boys themselves. Currently, the engine met all requirements, but J.D. Hogg was known to make changes to the regulations right up to the entry deadline. Once the deadline had passed, no new rules could be made, but until that moment, five o'clock on April 11th, Boss had all the rights and none of the responsibilities.

In the meantime, the boys were on a schedule that they hadn't observed since last summer; dropping Daisy at work, they'd take the yellow Plymouth that had once been Luke's and practice overland courses with it. The thing about these derbies was that, until the last minute, no one but J. D. Hogg knew what the course would be, and a driver needed to be prepared for anything. So the boys took the vehicle over the craziest terrain they could think of, with only two restrictions in mind: no getting hurt, and no damaging the car. After all, it was still one of the family's main means of transportation, and they couldn't afford to fix it.

Luke was worried that Bo would somehow see it as patronizing if he suggested that the younger boy be their driver. For his part, Bo wanted to drive but didn't know how to ask. They needn't have worried. The very first afternoon that they went out to practice, Luke tossed Bo the keys and never asked for them back. It was a done deal.

And just as had happened eight months before, when the boys last engaged in this activity, they bonded in the car. All discomforts of the past month were forgotten as they conceived something as unique as the stock car they'd built: team driving. There were certain efficiencies to be gained by having Luke monitor gauges and coordinate shifting, leaving Bo to drive more by feel than anything else. As they ran the car through increasingly challenging courses, the boys laughed and hollered together like they hadn't in months.

* * *

Jesse had been watching Bo and Luke since they'd returned from Kentucky. The patriarch continued to keep an eye on what seemed to be a slightly changed relationship between his boys. As best he could define it, they seemed somehow closer yet more awkward around one another. But he'd only get involved if they seemed to want him to, and so far, they didn't. In fact, as they began preparing for the upcoming race, their uncle was more than grateful to see Bo returning to his naturally upbeat ways. On the day that his youngest favored Jesse with that brilliant grin he hadn't seen in a month, his uncle stopped worrying. Well, he stopped worrying about Bo's temperament; not his boys' activities. 

Jesse had other concerns as well, such as maintaining the alliance he'd built. He'd selected a few of the most responsible men in the coalition and presented them to Ridge Owens as potential members of the soon-to-be-formed Board of Directors for the mill. The owner had only questioned one.

"I can't have one of my employees on the board, Jesse."

"Not only can you, but you'd probably better. If you come into trouble again, you need him to help you tap into your own workers for solutions. And, what happens in the board room stays there unless the board dictates otherwise, so he can't be gossiping down there on the floor."

"I still don't know…"

"You've employed him for more than twenty years. Can you think of a better man than John Haines?"

The mill's owner had to concede that he didn't. "But do you think he'll want to? He's just lost his son…"

"All the more reason for him to get involved in life again, Ridge. If you don't have any more objections, I'll see to getting him to accept the offer."

With a shrug, Ridge Owens acquiesced.

* * *

The boys were almost desperate to get out in their new car, the Charger. Luke, in particular, hadn't yet had the chance to drive it, but from Bo's description of how it felt, there was nothing he wanted to do more. Instead, the two of them had to content themselves with tuning and retuning the car as it sat in the barn next to Tilly. 

"We can't take him to the race all naked like this," Bo said, running his hand over the coat of Bondo primer.

Luke laughed, not sure whether it was his cousin's continued insistence that the car was male or his observation that the vehicle lacked appropriate attire for racing that tickled him so much.

"It ain't funny, Luke. Look at him!"

"All right, Bo. Let's go see what Cooter's got. Ain't no reason we can't paint him, though we're gonna have to move him to one of the older barns first. An' _I_ get to drive him there!" Luke insisted, before Bo could stake a claim.

With a sly grin, Bo answered, "I bet you want to take the long way, too."

"Yeah, come on, let's do it."

About an hour and a half later the boys and Cooter had returned to the farm with the only paint Cooter could give them. After all, the mechanic's father still owned the garage and the inventory officially belonged to the older man. So they'd taken several containers of the stuff he'd never been able to sell, along with some nearly empty cans of varying colors.

"I don't know," Luke said. He'd been expressing his reservations ever since leaving the garage.

"Oh, loosen up, Luke, it'll be fine," Bo answered in mild annoyance. Sometimes his cousin could be something of a stick-in-the-mud.

"Yeah, just wait until you see how it looks on him," the mechanic advised.

"All right, but don't say I didn't warn you," the older Duke boy said, as he popped the lid on one of the full cans. Grimacing again at the color, he watched as Cooter hooked up the power sprayer and began to paint the body. '_Orange_,' he thought. '_Well, after we win this thing, we'll buy some new paint and start over. And at least Bo will be the one driving this race, not me.'_

"You boys got a number in mind?" their friend asked, interrupting Luke's thoughts.

With a wink at his younger cousin, Luke indicated that they were still in complete agreement on this.

"Yeah, Coot," Bo answered with so much sincerity that the mechanic couldn't laugh at him. "We're gonna be number one."

* * *

The boys' newly painted car with the racing number on its now welded doors continued to be stored in one of the old barns on a remote part of the Duke property, but Bo and Luke were getting anxious. They still didn't have the entry fee for a race they desperately needed to win. Cooter would have lent them the money, but they couldn't take it, seeing as they couldn't be completely sure they'd be able to pay him back. Besides, the mechanic would be driving against them, and if he lent them cash, he'd have conflicting interests in the race. 

The Duke and Haines families had formed what seemed to be a permanent friendship, so it didn't really surprise Bo and Luke when the newlyweds came out to the farm for a visit one afternoon. Daisy made a pitcher of lemonade, and the entire family settled with the couple around the picnic table. They all drank a sober toast to the bride and groom.

Bo was a little shocked when Katie Jane suggested that the two of them go for a short walk. He'd kind of thought that her new marriage would keep her somewhat distant from him. This was the first time the two teens had been alone together since Ken had picked her up in Chattanooga. Bo desperately wanted to ask her if she really thought she'd be happy with Ken. He wasn't jealous, not anymore; more curious.

The blonde had come to realize that he'd never loved Katie Jane, though he'd cared for her. Had he been able to do what he'd briefly planned to, and married her, he wasn't sure how well it would have worked out. Still, asking the young woman that kind of a question wasn't appropriate, he knew. It sure wouldn't help her right now, and it might just hurt.

Since he couldn't blurt out the inquiry he wanted to, Bo found himself uncharacteristically tongue tied. He soon learned that Katie Jane hadn't pulled him aside for a casual chat anyway; she had something specific to say.

"I got something to give you, Bo, and I don't want you turnin' it down," she began. Her diminutive size notwithstanding, she looked like someone Bo didn't want to mess with at the moment. All the same, whatever it was, the blond was pretty much beholden to refuse. All the rules of small town relationships required it. His curiosity got the better of him, though.

"What is it, Katie Jane?"

"The coal company was facing a lawsuit, so they made an offer before that could happen. They gave me a cash settlement on top of the life insurance that you both signed up for when you took the job up there. An' then, because they was relatives, Robby's folks got some money, too. Me and Ken, we agreed. We're gonna keep the life insurance and the money the coal company gave me, an' that'll be plenty to raise Robby's child on. Ken's folks split the money they got four ways, keeping two shares for themselves and giving one each to Ken and Steve. We want you to have Ken's share. For all that you and Luke done for me, and also for all your Uncle Jesse done for Ken's dad."

Bo's head was shaking, but the young woman put a hand on either side of his face, stopping the motion.

"It ain't that much, Bo. But it'll make up for the few weeks you lost while goin' up there with us and stayin' with me. You coulda been here, workin' on the farm, but both you and Luke was takin' care of me. I want you to have it. I won't take no for an answer."

"Jesse'd kill me if I took it."

"He won't, 'cause Ken's convincing him over there," the young woman said, gesturing back towards the group they'd just left. And, indeed, it looked as though Ken was talking rather earnestly with the Duke men. "And besides, I'll kill you if you don't."

Bo laughed.

"You don't believe me? Just you try me, Bo Duke."

"All right, all right. Assuming Ken's as persuasive as you are, I'll take it."

Katie Jane was right, what she was giving Bo wasn't much. But it would cover the boys' entry into the race and leave enough over for one month's mortgage payment. After a lot of debate, the Duke family accepted it.

At the last possible moment, the boys signed up for the annual Hogg Derby. The county commissioner was surprised and somewhat miffed, but he couldn't prevent the Duke boys from racing. He'd have to come up with some other way to keep them out of his thinning hair.


	22. Let Me Show You How it's Done

_Alerts - schmalerts. We don't need no stinkin' alerts! Though PMs would be nice..._

_Thanks for sticking with me through this long story. And special thanks to those who review. Y'all know you keep me inspired._

_I don't own the main characters or the settings, and though some actual events were incorporated into this story, none of the characters are based on real people, either living or dead._

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Chapter 22 – Let Me Show You How it's Done

Feed a cold and starve a fever, that's what Rosco's momma had taught him, and he believed every word that sainted woman had ever said. Which was why he was concerned about his boss's behavior right now. The illness might not have been a traditional one, but the man was clearly feverish in his own unique way, and indulging himself in double fisted gobbling as well.

"Uh, Boss, maybe you should slow down," Rosco advised, watching as the man in white somehow managed to eat steak and potato chips in the same mouthful. Even as he found himself mildly disgusted by the fat man's behavior, the sheriff's empty stomach growled at the smells of the excellent food that was spread out on Boss Hogg's desk.

"Rosco!" Bits of food escaped along with the word, and the aging cop repositioned himself out of the line of fire, while remaining within grabbing reach of a chicken wing that the man in white had not yet touched.

"Gijit! Yes, Boss?"

"If you hadn'ta screwed up when those Dukes done broke their probation, I wouldn't have to be plannin' like this at the last minute. So you just sit there real quiet-like until I tell you to move, you got it?"

"Gyu." Rosco found himself a seat and tried not to make any more noises. Unfortunately for both the sheriff and his boss, concentrating on silence only seemed to encourage Rosco's rather unfortunate tongue to become more active. "Jit! Uh, Boss? I was wonderin'… well, while you're plannin' and I'm sitting… if maybe I could have a little chicken wing. Just a little itty-bitty one."

"Oh you was, was you," Hogg simpered. "Well the answer is no. Dat!" Boss chastised, seeing as the sheriff reached out for one anyway. "Rosco!" With a slap, the commissioner made his position clear.

Sticking a couple of his now stinging fingers into his mouth, Sheriff Coltrane finally managed to keep silent long enough for his brother-in-law to compose a plan that brought a smile to his heavy jowls. And, almost before he knew what was happening, Rosco was sent out to put it into motion without ever having gotten even the tiniest nibble of chicken.

* * *

Jesse was inclined to indulge his boys, just a little bit. They'd gone out to do their first chores of the morning, and hadn't yet returned. He had no doubt as to where they were though. He could hear them running around the farmyard, hurling insults at one another. The laughter told him that it was all in good fun, and he would have let them go on a little longer if he hadn't seen Luke, then Bo, gallop up and over the picnic table. 

"Boys!" he hollered, with a brisk tap on the kitchen window. Seeing that playtime was obviously over, they stopped cold. "Get in here and eat your breakfast. You need a decent meal in you."

Food always sounded good to both of the male Duke cousins, so they came in and immediately set to washing up. Within minutes, the family of four was seated around the kitchen table, digging into a good, southern breakfast.

"I know you boys is excited, but I want you to settle down a little bit. It you go into that race as wound up as you are right now, you ain't gonna be thinking straight. An' you're gonna need your brains and your drivin' skills both, in a derby run by J.D. Hogg. Now, what time do you got to be there?"

"Well, there's a drivers' meeting at ten to learn what the course and rules are, then we gotta be at the starting line for vehicle inspection by ten-fifteen. Race starts at ten-thirty."

"An' I gotta get there at nine-thirty, Uncle Jesse," his only girl announced. "You know Boss always makes the Boar's Nest the start and finish for these things so he can sell concessions to the spectators. An' you know who's got to do the sellin'."

"All right, you three go ahead. I'll do the rest of the chores for you, an' then I'll get there before it starts." Normally he'd have made the kids finish their work before leaving, but they were clearly useless at the moment anyway, what with those silly, excited grins on their faces.

* * *

The debut of the boys' new car wasn't going exactly like Bo Duke planned. The other drivers, including some of the cousins' better friends, were more amused than intimidated by the vehicle. 

"Hoo-ee! Look what them Duke boys done drug out of the junkyard," Dobro laughed, though not unkindly.

"That's a sight to make eyes sore, all right!" added another old friend, Chris Kelty.

Bo was inclined to become defensive, but seeing a change in the younger boy's posture, Luke advised, "Save it for the race, Bo."

The brunette didn't mention that he actually agreed with the other boys. The car itself had great lines, and they'd replaced the panels that had rusted, so it was physically sound. It was really just that garish color that needed to be dealt with. Luke was just grateful that they hadn't had enough of the odds and ends in the smaller cans to put the rebel flag on the roof, as they'd originally planned. He still wanted that flag up there, but not when it would contain reds and blues next to that hideous orange. Once the body was a more complementary color, they could come back and finish the detail work, and it would look good instead of gaudy.

Sitting down with the other drivers in the makeshift meeting area in the Boar's Nest parking lot, the Dukes sized up the competition. There was Cooter, and of course Dobro and Chris. They were not surprised to see Enos there as well. There were a few other boys there that had grown up with the Dukes, racing on the back roads before they were even of legal driving age. At the very last moment, Ernie Ledbetter joined the rest of the young men that were awaiting information about the upcoming race.

Bo placed a steadying hand on Luke's suddenly stiffening shoulder. "Easy, cuz," he whispered. Somehow Luke and the Ledbetter boy had always been at odds, and though his older cousin was usually laid back and friendly to just about everyone, he had an almost feral response to Ernie.

Forcing his eyes forward, Luke focused on the task at hand. J. D. Hogg's distant cousin, Cletus, was about to lead the meeting, and while the boys knew him to be a little too dumb to be part of any schemes, they needed to watch him carefully anyway. Besides, standing directly to his left was one Rosco Coltane, and Bo and Luke definitely needed to keep an eye on what that sycophant was up to.

Most of the rules were already known to the competitors, such as the fact that there were no rules, other than to stay alive and finish first. There were manned checkpoints that each car had to pass by and be seen, but other than that, the exact route was up to the driver. Overland routes were always more direct, but a driver never knew what obstacles might have been placed there by the derby's namesake. It was really a matter of finding out where those checkpoints were and then taking your chances against the terrain and the other drivers. The meeting was more a formality than anything.

That was, until Cletus listed the third checkpoint: The north side of Jacob's Creek Bridge, just over the state line in Tennessee.

"Now wait a minute!" Bo jumped to his feet. "You know me and Luke can't go over there!"

With a tight little grin, Rosco commented, "Khee! Then I guess you forfeit."

There were other protests from the boys' friends, but looking at Rosco and then catching sight of Boss, standing by the door to the Boar's Nest and smirking, Luke knew there was no point in the argument. Standing up, the oldest Duke cousin spoke very quietly, but every one heard him just the same.

"No, Rosco, we don't forfeit." With a slight pressure to his blonde cousin's shoulder, he sat them both back down, and much to everyone's surprise, the meeting resumed. Bo didn't know what his scheming cousin's plan was this time, but he sure hoped it was good.

By the time Jesse arrived, the drivers were helmeted and getting into their vehicles. If they hadn't been climbing through the windows of that brilliant orange car, he might not have known his own nephews, they were so subdued. The race was about to begin, so he couldn't exactly go and give them a pep talk. The patriarch was resigned to hoping they were just concentrating on the task at hand, and not discouraged.

In all, there were nine cars lined up awaiting the flag, which Daisy, by virtue of her beauty, was given the honor of wielding to start the race. Scanning the boys' competition, the Duke patriarch decided that the biggest threats were Enos, Dobro and Cooter. They'd been driving with and against his boys since they were young; and not only were they excellent drivers, but they also knew Bo and Luke's moves. Jesse was also not thrilled to see the Ledbetter boy out there. He'd never been able to get Luke to tell him why they disliked each other so much, but the reasons didn't matter, not really. What was important was that sometimes Luke's judgment could be clouded by his distaste for the other man.

Jesse saw a flash of green, then had to turn his head away as the cars all kicked up a tremendous amount of dust. When he raised his head again, the white haired man was proud to see that his nephews had gotten an excellent start, and were, for now, leading the pack. Now there was nothing to do but wait, since the spectators would hear nothing until the cars started passing the checkpoints. Men deemed "responsible" sat at the designated spots to make sure that each car passed them, and reported the sightings back over the CB. It should be a good ten minutes before anyone got to the first checkpoint. Boss Hogg usually had three of them, and they were generally some distance apart. So long as the race lasted at least the better part of an hour, the man in white could count on bringing in a lot of extra money from concessions.

As soon as the cars were out of sight, Daisy made her way over to her uncle, her eyes flashing with anger. The old man had no idea what had put her into this mood, but he had a pretty good guess that it was probably the same thing that had taken the bounce out of his boys' steps. Before she could blurt it out right here in the middle of the crowd, Jesse led Daisy to the tailgate of his pickup. Boss and Rosco would be too busy selling hotdogs and beer to eavesdrop, and the Dukes would still be able to hear the CB, should anyone get to that first checkpoint earlier than anticipated.

"I'm just so mad!" Daisy announced.

"Well, I can see that, girl. You wanna tell me why?"

"Oh, Uncle Jesse, they gone and made the third checkpoint in Tennessee!"

Jesse made a move for the driver's side door, even as he asked, "And those fool cousins of yours are still drivin'? What are they thinkin'?" Just as his hand made contact with the door handle, Daisy grabbed the older man's other arm and stopped him.

"Wait! You can't go out there, you'll get them disqualified!"

"Disqualified is better than in prison for five years," her uncle snapped.

"I know, Uncle Jesse, but Luke has some kind of a plan. He couldn't tell me what it was, but he seems to know what he's doin'. And if you get involved, they'll never forgive you."

"If they get themselves throwed in jail, I'll never forgive them," her uncle retorted, but he stopped trying to wrench free of Daisy's grip. "Whatever that boy's got in mind, it better be good."

* * *

"Bo, you gotta shake that turkey!" 

"I'm tryin'. Why's he stickin' to us anyways?" Bo didn't know all of Luke's plan, but he did know that they needed to lose the rest of the pack, and stay out of their sight through the checkpoints. After the last one on the Tennessee side of Jacob's Creek, it wouldn't matter anymore. From there it would just be a matter of beating everyone who might be pursuing them back to the Boar's Nest.

They managed to separate from most of the group by choosing an overland route. They'd practiced enough rough terrain driving, both recently and when they'd been preparing Bo to run 'shine, that Luke was not worried about obstacles. Between his instructions and Bo's natural instincts, the older boy was sure they could skirt any kind of danger that the open land might possess. So they'd chosen the most direct route, which was also the roughest. Most of the rest of the pack had stayed on the road, and even Cooter, who had also gone off-road, had chosen a smoother route than the rocky, old, dry creek bed that Bo and Luke were bouncing down right now. And on their tail was one Ernie Ledbetter.

"I don't know. He ain't much of a driver, more of a crasher…" Luke snapped his fingers. "That's exactly what he is, Bo! He ain't tryin' to win. Boss put him into this race to take us out of it. Just in case we didn't get scared off by the checkpoint in Tennessee."

"I still don't know why we didn't get scared off by that," Bo pointed out.

"First things first, Bo. We gotta get rid of old manure-for-brains back there." Luke began fishing around in the back seat for his compound bow. Sparing a quick glance at his cousin, Bo recognized what the older boy was up to.

"No way, Luke, I ain't gonna be able to keep the car steady enough for you to sit on that door frame."

"You got a better idea?"

"Yeah, actually, I do. You just relax there and let me show you how it's done."

Luke really wanted to take his cousin down a peg or two, but he recognized that this was not the time to do it. The younger boy needed to concentrate on whatever it was that he was planning to do, and if anything, he needed Luke's support, not his sarcasm.

Luke found that he was the one that needed support, when his little cousin jogged the car out of the creek bed and up the steep incline. Now cruising along the eastern bank of what had once been a creek, Luke glanced back to make sure that Ernie had followed them up.

"He's still there," Luke supplied.

"Yeah, but not for long," Bo assured his older cousin.

Luke tried to take Bo's advice about relaxing, but it wasn't possible, not with the way the car was now straddling the edge of the small ravine, two wheels beneath the rim and the other two still up on higher ground. Luke had to reach one hand out the open window and grab onto the roof of the car to keep gravity from bringing him closer to Bo than he wanted to be.

"Bo!" he shouted, alerting his cousin to a boulder on the bank just ahead. At that moment, however, the blonde had his hands full, as the car behind them nudged into his bumper, and the blonde lost control of the steering wheel.


	23. Give Me a Challenge

_Glug, glug... In case you're wondering, that would be the sound of me drowning in work. But you know, neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow can keep me from... posting a chapter. Yeah, it sounds better when you're talking about delivering mail and appointed rounds and all that stuff. And it's more believable when you live in a place where it might actually sleet or snow._

_I don't own the main characters or the settings, and although real events were incorporated into the plot, none of the characters are based on real people, either living or dead._

_Thanks to everyone who's been sticking this out all the way through. Only one or two more twists left to this tale..._

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Chapter 23 – Give Me a Challenge

With the bump from behind, Luke lost his grip on the roof, as the boys' car slid down towards the dry creek bed. Feeling himself slip into Bo with some force, he looked over to see that between the two impacts, the younger boy had relinquished his hold on the steering wheel. Instinct made Luke grab for it.

"Keep your dang hands to yourself," his cousin said, hotly. Before Luke could comply, both boys' attention was drawn rightward by a screech that scattered the wildlife. Bo regained control of the car while his older cousin surveyed the scene outside his window. The Ledbetter boy's vehicle was accordioned upon the boulder that Bo had been aimed at only seconds before. The blonde continued his descent towards the old creek bed, but at a much slower pace than he had been until this point. He'd almost come to a stop when Luke gave him the signal.

"He's gettin' out, Bo, hit it!" Even though he couldn't stand the guy, Luke would never leave another driver out in the woods if he thought they were hurt. A few seconds later they heard Ernie make his own distress call over the CB. Drivers, in fact everyone except the checkpoint supervisors, were forbidden from using the airwaves during the race, except to put out exactly this type of SOS. If Ernie hadn't been able to holler for help himself, one of the Dukes would have been forced to.

The blonde didn't need to be told twice. Now free of any encumbrances, he went after the creek bed with a vengeance, knowing they'd lost some time to the little entanglement, and intending to make up for it before the first checkpoint.

The orange Charger was still about half a minute from the checkpoint when the reports of some of the lead cars flying past it came over the CB. Bo spared a quick glance at his cousin. The original plan had called for them to pass that area before any of the other drivers, then disappear back into the woods before anyone else could spot them. Now their chances of being seen, and followed again, had increased, but Luke told Bo to continue on at full speed. They couldn't afford to wait until everyone else went by.

With a wave out the window, they passed the checkpoint, luckily at a moment when no other drivers were within sight. Back in the creek bed, the Duke boys bounced along at a ridiculous rate, considering the hazards. They managed to reach the second checkpoint first, thanks to Bo's recklessness and Luke's self-restraint. As they disappeared back into the tree line, heading for a new overland route, they were surprised to find they had another tail.

"What's he doin' back there?" Bo asked of their friend, Chris Kelty.

"I don't know, but you gotta lose him, Bo. An' no impaling him on a rock, either. That's his daddy's car."

"You're no fun," Bo said with a grin. "Hold on."

Luke did as he was told, having already learned that the belts in this old bench seat left a little something to be desired. They existed, and were fastened around both boys' laps, but they didn't exactly hold fast. Luke had already mentally changed his priorities from immediately repainting the body to getting some decent safety equipment for the old car, first.

As the boys' vehicle dodged between some trees, their friend held on, though he lost ground. Finally, Bo found what he needed, and slowing just enough for Chris to get a little closer, he skirted slightly right. The other boy's chocolate brown Ford charged straight forward and was instantly spun slightly sideways, then stuck, its rear wheels spewing muck from the scummy steam that Bo had tricked him into driving through. With a giggle, Bo drove on.

* * *

The county commissioner's hands were full. He looked lovingly at the hotdog clutched in the pudgy fingers of his left hand, then with even greater fondness at the cash that was tightly gripped by his right. He was going to have to put one or the other down, so, after swallowing half the hotdog in one bite, he managed to part with that for a moment. 

Enos had been the third car past the second checkpoint. The first car could be disregarded, since it was just those danged Dukes, who would either have to drop out or be arrested for breaking their probation. Boss would prefer the latter, but the former would suit his purposes well enough for today. The second car past the checkpoint had already called for assistance, having gotten stuck in the mud somewhere in the woods just beyond the second checkpoint. The man in white felt pretty well assured that the money in his fat little fist would be staying there, and now he just needed to count it so he could enter the amount into his own private ledger. Then, much like putting away half a frankfurter in one swallow, he'd greedily stuff the cash into the safe in his office inside the Boar's Nest.

Just in case those foolish Dukes did try to cross that state line, though, he had set up a little welcoming committee for them along Jacob's Creek Road. Jesse Duke might have thought that the family had friends in the ATF office, but if those no good nephews of his were planning on breaking the rules of their probation, a certain Federal Agent, Andy Roach, was still interested in seeing that they were suitably punished for that. Hogg knew this because he'd spoken to the man just yesterday afternoon. Then, the commissioner had met with him this morning, and directed him to the best place to wait for those Duke boys. And, just to be sure that the Feds didn't screw it up this time, he'd sent his sheriff up that way only moments before. Rosco wouldn't go all the way up to Jacob's Creek; he'd be the cut off man, halfway home. And, just as the icing on the cake, Jesse and Daisy couldn't help this time, because everyone except the racers had to stay off the roads at that end of Hazzard. So the Duke boys' kin were stuck right here, where the fat man could keep an eye on them.

Oblivious to the smear of ketchup at the corner of his mouth, the balding county commissioner counted the money that was wadded in his right fist.

* * *

"Give me a challenge this time, cousin," Bo suggested with a smirk. 

"Be careful what you ask for, Bo. We're going into uncharted territory here, and you're gonna have to figure out the best way to do this."

"No sweat."

* * *

Emery Potter was sitting at his post, getting butterflies in his stomach. In his long fingers, he held a roster with the names of all the derby entrants on it. He'd crossed off those who had dropped out, thanks to wrecks, and he knew he was looking for exactly six cars to pass within his vision. His registrar's mind appreciated knowing exact quantity, and his ordered thoughts were perfect for keeping track of such things. If his slightly anxious personality was a detriment to him guarding a checkpoint, his complete and utter honesty made up for it. Aside from Enos Strate, Emery was known for being the most trustworthy man in all of Hazzard County. 

Another trait that the skinny, bespectacled man shared with the sheriff's deputy, was his lack of coordination. The brief roar coming from behind where he stood should have prepared him, but he was so busy memorizing his list that the sound didn't register right away. The next noise nearly made him jump right into Jacob's Creek, however.

The shrill notes of _Dixie_ were followed by a flash of orange to the registrar's left. As the reedy man turned to look, he lost his balance, and stumbled into his own vehicle. Recovering, Emery glanced up at the same time that he heard a crunch. Just on the Georgia side of the creek, he spotted the brightest car he'd ever seen, which slowed just long enough for Luke Duke to stick his head and arm out the passenger window, waving to the supervisor of the checkpoint. Then, in a cloud of dust, the vehicle was gone. Fumbling with the CB mic, Emery made his first broadcast.

"Uh, this is checkpoint three. The Duke boys just went past me."

* * *

"That was beautiful, Bo," Luke laughed. "Did you see poor Emery take a seat back there?" 

"Nope, I missed that. But you can tell me all about it after we cross that finish line." From this point forward, the boys planned to stay on the roads back to Hazzard. They were in the lead, and they had no reason to hide now. Zipping up Jacob's Creek Road, they expected to take the crossroad back to Route 21, which would in turn take them back to the Boar's Nest. Everything would be smooth sailing from here.

Bo and Luke were already congratulating themselves when a blue Plymouth Fury pulled out of the woods to their right. Out of instinct, Bo put his foot down on the accelerator, keeping the boys ahead, but in the moment that the other car was beside them, Luke recognized the driver.

"You know that challenge you was lookin' for, cousin?"

"Yeah," Bo answered testily. He wasn't in the mood for an I-told-you-so from his older cousin.

"Well, you got it. That there's Andy Roach."

"This was some great plan you had, Luke. Now we got the Feds after us again."

"Listen, for now, just concentrate on gettin' us back to the Boar's Nest, and don't let anything stop us or get ahead of us, you hear? We'll worry about Roach after we win this race."

"Oh, terrific. Win the race first, Bo, _then_ go to prison. Great advice, cuz." But the younger boy turned his attention to the road in a way that Luke recognized as full concentration.

Their new car was just as fast as they had imagined, and the Duke boys were cruising well ahead of the revenuer's sedan before they'd even gotten halfway back to the Boar's Nest. Listening to Emery Potter call in each of their remaining competitors, Bo and Luke knew they had this race in the bag, so long as nothing else went wrong.

And then, the very definition of wrong pulled out into the road in front of them: Sheriff Rosco Coltrane.

"Bo!" Luke shouted, uselessly alerting his cousin to that which he could not possibly have missed.

"Got it, Luke," the blonde answered, giving the older boy no idea what exactly 'it' was that he 'got.' Whatever 'it' might be, Luke once again braced himself against the roof of the Charger in preparation.

It was a good thing the older boy was ready because the car suddenly lurched right and off the road. Bumping through a part of the woods with which neither boy was terribly familiar, Bo scanned the area for the best way back to the road, while Luke watched the other cars.

"Rosco's behind us, but Andy stayed on the road, cousin. We gotta find another way back to the finish line." The road was smoother, so the revenuer could keep easy pace with the Duke boys now, and if they headed back to the blacktop, he'd be able to block them. Choosing the smoothest path he could find, Bo just kept pushing forward until he saw what he wanted.

"Rosco ain't gonna be behind us no more. Yee-haa!" Bo screamed as the car jumped a stream. Neither the gulley nor the jump was very big by Bo Duke standards, but the sheriff wasn't exactly Bo Duke. Completely oblivious to the creek, Rosco barreled forward, impaling his undercarriage on a rock, and turning his squad car into a large see-saw. Luke watched him rock a couple of times before turning forward again.

"Listen, Bo, we still gotta win this thing, but we can't go back to Route 21; think you can do that?"

"I don't know, somethin' happened on that last landing. The car don't feel quite as powerful."

"Shoot." Looking left, the older boy could see the Plymouth Fury still paralleling them on the road. "Head right, cuz, try to get out of Roach's sight."

The blonde found a path that headed deeper into the woods, while his cousin watched the other car as it was finally forced to abandon the road in order to keep them in sight.

"All right, Bo, great. Now I need you to cut a wide arc back to the road. Make him follow you, though. Don't let him know where you're headed or he'll cut you off."

Concentrating solely on the incredibly challenging task at hand, Bo let Luke keep tabs on other things. Both boys only began to breathe again when their front wheels hit blacktop with the revenuer still behind them.

Luke was watching the gauges and listening to the engine. "How's he feel on the road, cousin?"

"Still not as powerful, but better," Bo answered. Luke could hear the engine misfiring when Bo put his foot down, but the hesitation was brief enough that the brunette knew his cousin could accommodate it with a different driving style. The younger boy was almost symbiotic with this car by now.

"Okay, well, just keep him humpin' because we gotta stay ahead of Roach, but also now Enos and Cooter are makin' up ground on us. They ain't that far back," Luke said, craning his neck to see if there were any others. So far, it looked like there was no other competition out there. This race still belonged to the Duke boys, so long as their car was up to it.

* * *

Cooter was ready to make his move. He and Enos had been neck and neck way too long for the mechanic's tastes. Every year, the ernest deputy raced, and every year, somehow, that boy snookered Cooter out of his trophy. And what hurt the older man's pride most, was that Cooter knew Enos had always won fair and square. If he'd thought the deputy was cheating, he could have at least been angry. But with Enos, you couldn't get mad, you just had to be proud of him. And this year, Cooter would prefer to be proud of himself. 

Having heard that the Duke boys had passed the last checkpoint long before anyone else, the boys' friend pretty much wrote off winning. It no longer mattered to him. His singular focus was edging out the deputy.

Zipping down Route 21, which had been closed to regular traffic, the fiercely grinning mechanic lost his concentration for a second when he saw an unfamiliar blue Plymouth about three-quarters of a mile ahead. Somehow a by-stander had gotten into the middle of this derby, which was no place for an innocent civilian to be. Cooter glanced over at Enos and saw that the deputy was aware of the situation. Drivers were forbidden from using the CB during the race, unless they needed to make a distress call. Apparently Enos determined that the car ahead was likely to be in some distress unless he got it out of the way, because the young deputy picked up his CB mic and broadcast a message to his superior officer.

"Sheriff Coltrane, this is Deputy Enos Strate. We got ourselves a stray car in the derby. Some kind of a blue sedan… I don't know how he got in the middle of this, but he could get hurt!"

"Enos! I'm a little, gyu, busy just now, but you just stay out of his way. Ol' Agent Roach knows what he's doing. Gijit!"

"Rosco! You hush!" This next transmission came from Boss Hogg. "Deputy, you just win the race, and don't be worryin' about anything else." In the background, Cooter could hear a lot of voices coming from the crowd behind Boss Hogg. It seemed that Rosco's transmission had been heard by everyone.

Both the mechanic's and the deputy's priorities changed in a split second, as they went after the race with even more energy than they had up until now. Cooter had pulled ahead while Enos was busy chatting on the CB, and he held his position ferociously. He couldn't possibly let another lawman get between himself and his friends, whose brilliant orange racer was just barely visible, speeding along in front of the revenuer's vehicle.

* * *

"He's awfully close, Bo. You holdin' anything back?" 

"Wish I was, cousin."

"Remember, this guy is stubborn, but he ain't half the driver you are. All you gotta do is keep him behind us until you get to the Boar's Nest. You just can't let him stop us, all right?"

"Yeah," Bo answered. "You just better be thinkin' what we're gonna do once we get there."

"Don't worry, I got it all figured out," Luke assured his cousin, hoping he was telling the truth.

When the Plymouth behind them got too close for Bo's comfort, he started making some evasive maneuvers. Imagining the car as an extension of his own body, the blonde bobbed and weaved like the football player he had once been. Or, he mentally corrected himself, the football player Luke had tried to teach him to be. He'd never really used these techniques as a linebacker, but they sure were coming in handy on the road. The driver behind them was forced to back off, since he didn't have the same kind of precise control over his vehicle that the youngest Duke did.

Meanwhile, Luke was watching another duel by automobile between Enos and Cooter. The mechanic definitely had the advantage, and he wasn't going to give it up for anything. As the two racers approached the revenuer's car, Luke was about to warn his cousin that he'd need to find more speed, even if the dark haired boy himself had to get out and push. But he never got the chance to speak, because even as he watched, Cooter deliberately rammed the back of Andy Roach's car. The revenuer, not used to games of bumper tag, lost control of his vehicle and slid off the side of the road, dragging the mechanic right along with him. Enos followed, pulling over voluntarily to assist a fellow officer in distress. Cooter backed up, freeing his car from the revenuer's, and resumed racing. Coming in second was acceptable in a derby that included Bo Duke.

With a whoop, Luke turned back to his cousin. "You got it, Bo! Smooth sailing from here!"

The last half mile to the Boar's Nest went by in a flash, and the boys crossed the finish line alone. Skidding to a stop, Bo and Luke awkwardly pulled themselves out of the windows of the car whose doors they had welded shut.

"There's got to be an easier way to do that," Luke muttered, rubbing at the spot where his back had been grazed by the edge of the door frame. Before he could think about it any more though, Bo had caught hold of his hand in a handshake that instantly turned into a hug. And within seconds, the embrace was joined by the other members of their family. Moments later, Cooter, the runner up, joined the Dukes in celebration.

"Congratulations, boys," Jesse said. "That was some fine driving."

"Thanks, Uncle Jesse," Bo answered, his smile reflecting the brilliant morning sunshine.

"And some really lousy thinking!" their uncle finished, glowering at them both. "What was you boys doin' crossin' over into Tennessee?"

"Now Jesse, don't worry," Luke began. He didn't get a chance to finish, as, with sirens blaring, Enos' patrol car crossed the finish line in third place. And, along with the deputy, Agent Andy Roach was sitting in the front seat of the cruiser.

Hearing Daisy gasp, Bo was torn between putting an arm around her, and running. He looked to his older cousin, who mouthed, _'it's okay'_ to him. Trusting Luke, Bo stood his ground while slipping his arm around his female cousin's waist.

The Duke boys waited calmly for the revenuer to cuff their wrists.


	24. Everyone's Got a Name

_Well, I'm going to trust that the site is working and go ahead and post this. Sorry for the delay, but it's kind of hard to watch this story wind down... This one has a soft spot in my heart._

_When I started to learn about mining, I was surprised about a lot of things, though maybe I shouldn't have been. I guess it just goes to show that I was naive on the subject. The most shocking thing though, and what compelled me to write this, was seeing what mountains look like after strip mining. This was a story about the Dukes, not the mountains of Appalachia, so I only mentioned it here. But, if you want to see something that will break your heart (especailly if you are a nature lover) do some google image searches on strip mining._

_As I keep saying, I never meant any harm to those who earn their living from mining. But it's an awfully dangerous profession. And strip mining changes the land forever._

_And that's enough of the lecture. _

_This is not the last chapter - but it's very close now. Thanks for all your reviews all along the way._

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* * *

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Chapter 24 – Everyone's Got a Name

"I'm sorry, Daisy," Agent Andy Roach said, as he cuffed Luke.

"Nothin' to be sorry for," the young woman answered quietly, not looking at either of the law enforcement officers that were taking her cousins into custody.

"It'll be okay, Daisy," Bo said, giving her one last squeeze before surrendering his hands to Enos' handcuffs.

"Uncle Jesse, we need Emery Potter; bring him to the sheriff's office, all right?" Luke instructed.

Giving his oldest charge a look that was somewhere between hope and despair mixed with anger and love, the older man nodded. Almost before they knew what had happened, Jesse, Daisy and Cooter were left standing with the crowd that had come to see the race, while Bo and Luke were taken away in Enos' squad car.

* * *

Emery Potter thought he might just throw up. Questions were flying at him faster than he could keep track. He'd counted six times that he answered the one Boss Hogg kept asking him, and four times that he'd answered the one that Luke and then Jesse Duke had asked him. And now the Federal Agent was asking both of those questions, too quickly for the registrar to keep count. His answers never varied, so why did they keep asking? 

"Okay, one more time, Mr. Potter. At any time, did you see the Duke boys or their vehicle in Tennessee?" Agent Roach asked.

"No, sir, I didn't see them anywhere but in Hazzard."

"But you said they passed your checkpoint?"

Emery was grateful for the small things. Like, that at least the Duke boys had finally been taken to a cell and locked up. Not that he wanted them in jail, he sure didn't. Why, those boys were always helping him in little ways, like that one time he ran out of gas and was stranded on the side of the road until they picked him up. Then there was the time that he'd stumbled into the middle of a fight in the Boar's Nest, and with no way to truly defend himself, had simply curled up into the fetal position and hoped for the best. Between the two Duke boys, they'd had managed to get him out without injury, somehow. He'd never known exactly how they'd done it, because he hadn't lifted his head until he was safely outside, but it looked like those boys had taken a pretty good beating along the way.

So Emery was just glad they weren't in the room with him and the rest of the group that was crowded in here, including law enforcement, members of the boys' family, and of course, Boss Hogg. The registrar was only telling the truth, but he didn't want any of what he said to get those boys in trouble. And if they were sitting here, it would be like consigning them to prison while looking them in the eyes. Emery wasn't up to that.

"I… they went past me, yes."

"Now, Emery," Boss Hogg butted in, "I want you to think real hard about this. Them boys went past you, which means they was in Tennessee, right?" A puff of cigar smoke wafted into the skinny man's face, leaving him even more lightheaded and nauseous.

"I didn't see them in Tennessee. I only saw them in Hazzard. But they went past me."

Emery looked up to see Jesse Duke smile. Maybe the mild-mannered registrar was doing all right, after all.

* * *

There was a cot, but the boys were sitting on the floor, chuckling. 

"Yep, old Emery always was a little green, but today he was downright fluorescent! That really was brilliant, Luke, passin' him but never lettin' him see us in Tennessee."

"I was kinda proud of that, yeah. I just hope it works. It's sort of a technicality," Luke admitted.

"It'll work. No one _saw_ us outside of Hazzard," Bo encouraged, using his hand to imitate the car as it had sailed from one state to the other, over Jacob's Creek. They'd hopped the creek into Tennessee a good mile east of the checkpoint, then come overland until they were close to where Emery sat. Driving at a diagonal with respect to the road, they had come from behind the checkpoint, and jumped the creek. Just as they'd left the ground, Bo had hit the horn, to be sure he had Emery's attention. When Luke saw the skinny man fall backwards into his car, they knew they'd been spotted. By then, they had landed safely on the Hazzard side of the state line.

Luke was still quiet, nibbling on his lip. He wished they could have stayed upstairs to see how the questioning was going. There was nothing worse than setting such a tenuous plan into motion then being forced to cool your heels while it played out.

Seeing the older boy continuing to stew, Bo drew his attention back to the floor and the very faint pencil markings that adorned it. Though the concrete had been scrubbed in ways that it never had been before, and it now practically shined, the drawings that the boys had made when they were confined here last summer were still visible. Though the car had been only a figment of their imagination at the time, the plans they'd sketched on this square of concrete were remarkably similar to the racer they'd ultimately built.

"What a great car, huh, Luke? We really did it."

"We did," the older boy answered. "I gotta confess somethin' though, Bo. I really hated the color. I was gonna talk you into repaintin' him."

Bo smirked. He had seen his cousin cringe when they'd painted the body, but there had been no other color choice. And besides, Bo liked bright colors like yellow, orange, and red. Luke was the one that was stuck on the blander blues. "Somethin' change your mind?"

"Well, if he hadn't been such a bright shade of orange, I'm not sure we could have done what we did today, makin' sure Emery saw us, but only when we wanted him to."

Bo giggled, knowing he was only fueling the fire with what he was gong to say next. "That Dixie horn didn't hurt none, either."

"Yeah, all right, I hated that, too. But I admit, it's pretty useful," Luke answered with a smile. "You're sure about the flag? All that red and blue next to the orange…"

"Yeah, he wouldn't be complete without the flag. And," Bo added, pointing to his own sketches on the floor below them, "His name goes right here."

Luke was trying to wrap his brain around all the paint that this poor car was going to be forced to wear. "His name?"

"Well, he's gotta have one, don't he? I mean, you got a name, I got a name; we all got names, Luke. Even Maudine's got a name."

"Yeah, but it ain't plastered on her side…"

"Roof, Luke."

"Roof, whatever. She ain't been branded with it. It's just… a lot of color, is all I'm sayin'."

"Yeah, well, all those years, we been drivin' moonshine runnin' cars that had to be black. This is our chance to really show up, be seen, you know? And the girls will love it."

"The girls will laugh at it. But okay, you've been more right about this car from the start than I ever was. You knew it was gonna be a him, not a her, back when all it was, was just a couple of bolts stuck in a block." Luke stopped, quietly studying his cousin for a few minutes.

Things had changed between them over the past couple of months, and while at first it had been awkward, now the older cousin wouldn't go back to the way things used to be for anything. Having Bo for a little cousin had always been a fact of his life, and he'd loved almost every minute of it, without a doubt. He'd never forget Bo's first steps, taken at eleven months, when he'd raced forward to be caught in Luke's arms. Later, when the blonde had stumbled through his first relationship, Luke was there to hold him through that painful night after the girl had walked away. And, even after their doomed shine run last year, it was in the arms of his older cousin that Bo had found comfort. Being there for Bo was almost like breathing to the older Duke - not doing it was unthinkable.

But now that he had a peer in his cousin, Luke wondered how he'd ever been satisfied with their prior relationship. He'd never stop looking out for Bo, but suddenly he realized that Bo would never stop looking out for him, either. To a man like Luke, used to being the protector, this was the ultimate gift: permission to let his guard down from time to time.

"What?" Bo asked, uncomfortable with the stare.

"You were great out there today, Bo."

"I was, wasn't I?" the younger boy grinned.

"I'm serious, cousin. More than the race, you kept us clear of Rosco and Roach, even though the car took a few good bumps on the way. You and that car… if we'd had him last summer Bo, ain't no way they would have caught us on that 'shine run. Because with him, you can't lose."

"I guess," the younger boy answered, kind of wishing Luke hadn't brought up the subject of that 'shine run, even if they were in the same cell they'd been in back then, having been arrested by the same Federal Agent.

"Bo," Luke said quietly, putting a hand on the younger boy's shoulder, "This is one of those big victories, the kind that doesn't come around all the time. You had all the same enemies out there, and then some. Plus, Jesse and Daisy wasn't out there to help. But you beat them all."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that. I still wish we hadn't got caught last year, though."

"Me too. But, see, now we got a legal way of earnin' even more than we did from whiskey. Now we can do it racin'. With you behind the wheel, we can't lose, cousin."

Finally, here was the grin that Luke had missed so much over the past couple of months, genuine, happy and glowing. The older cousin couldn't help but smile back. The blonde's good cheer didn't last long, though.

"When I went to Kentucky, Luke… I was just tryin' to help. I didn't really want to go. Leavin' the farm, and you all, that was really hard." Bo swallowed. "I was really mad at you, but I didn't want to go. I just thought it was for the best if I did…"

Luke could see that his cousin was struggling to explain something he'd long since been forgiven for. And if one thing had become obvious to the older boy, it was that guilt and Bo Duke made very bad bedfellows.

"I know that, cousin, and so do Jesse and Daisy. It was for the best, in its own way. You was there for Katie Jane, and you goin' out there also allowed us to meet Sarah."

Bo nodded. He knew his older cousin continued to write to her and receive her letters. Somehow the 'den mother' of Oven Fork and Bo's protective older cousin had become friends. And Bo liked Sarah quite a bit himself.

"Bo, you'd never leave your family for anything but the best of reasons. We all know that. There ain't nothin' you have to explain anymore."

Indigo eyes met lighter blue, and Bo nodded. The younger boy was finally satisfied enough to put this subject to rest.

"Hey, fellas." Daisy almost couldn't bear to break into her cousins' jail cell conversation. Sometimes it seemed those boys did their best talking behind bars.

"How're you doing?" Bo asked.

At the same time, Luke inquired, "How's it going up there?"

Responding the question she preferred to answer, Daisy said, "Well, poor Emery's not lookin' so good, but he's doin' great. I don't think they're gonna be able to charge you. Of course, Boss is fightin' tooth and nail to make sure you either go to jail or forfeit the race, but I don't think he's gonna get his way. Not with Uncle Jesse and Cooter up there." With a grin she added, "You guys were terrific!"

"Well yeah, sweetheart, we know that. Question is, how are you?" Bo tried again, this time standing and reaching a long arm through the bars, beckoning her close enough to touch.

"I'm all right," Daisy answered, although she did come closer and let Bo awkwardly place his arm around her shoulders.

"Are you sure?" the blonde asked. Luke just stood back and watched his two younger cousins. He'd come to the conclusion that the teen's way with women was not simply romantic, but also emotional. And he had no doubt that Bo was the better of the boys to be talking to Daisy just now.

"Well, I ain't terrific, but yeah, I'm okay. I guess… I wasn't exactly dying to see Andy Roach today, but now that I have, it feels a little different."

"Like how?" Bo asked.

"Like, now I know it wasn't Andy that I loved so much. I mean, I really did like him a lot, but even more, I liked that feeling of being special… and being in love."

Bo grinned. "Shoot, there ain't nothin' like it," he said, sympathetically.

This brought a smile to Daisy's face and an awkward swat to Bo's backside, through the bars.

"What would you know about it, Bo Duke? You've got a new girlfriend every week!"

"An' I've loved every one," the blonde answered in mock seriousness.

Seeing things lighten up a bit, Luke came to the bars and gave his female cousin's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"You know," the older boy offered, "I could set you up with Enos, if you want. I mean, it might take some work, but…"

"Luke!" Daisy tried to swat him, too, but he stepped out of reach. "As much help as you two are, I'd better get back up there and see what's happening."

* * *

"Well, Hogg, you haven't got a case," Agent Roach announced with a shrug. "You really ought to, I'll admit, but your only witness did not see them on Tennessee soil. And I think, if you tried to make him testify, he might just blow a gasket. You've got to let those Duke boys go." 

While a number of the people in the room cheered, Emery Potter wiped his brow and concentrated on staying upright in his chair. If he'd known there was this much to watching a checkpoint during a race, he would have called in sick today. He was certainly going to have to miss work tomorrow, because he anticipated a full nervous breakdown this evening.

"There ain't no way they're getting the prize money," Boss Hogg squealed.

"Now just you wait a minute," Cooter snarled. "I'm the one that stands to win it if you make them forfeit, and I won't take that money, because they won fair and square!"

"All right," the commissioner said with a smile. "The runner-up declines. That means Enos gets it, on account of he came in third."

"Oh, no, Mr. Hogg, I couldn't take it. Them Duke boys won it. They was at the finish line a whole minute before me."

"Dat! Enos! They have to forfeit because they didn't pass the third checkpoint!" Boss insisted.

While the deputy looked confused, and Jesse and Daisy Duke began to argue on behalf of their kin, Emery Potter stood up to his full height of five-nine, and one hundred twenty-five pounds soaking wet. With a deep breath, he spoke with as much authority as his thin and reedy voice would allow.

"They went past me. I didn't see them in Tennessee, but they went past me. I am the supervisor of checkpoint three! And the Duke boys went past me, just like they were supposed to." Having expelled all the air that was in his body, Emery deflated back into his chair, semi-conscious. No one noticed, as most of them headed downstairs to free the winners of the 1976 Jefferson Davis Hogg Derby.

Andy tried to pull Daisy aside as she passed by. Reluctantly, she stayed behind for a minute.

"I _am_ sorry, Daisy," he offered.

"Oh, Andy, it's all right. You was just doin' your job." She looked closely into his hazel eyes for the first time since seeing him again. She was surprised to find that they were just as attractive as ever, but they didn't have that same pull on her that they'd once had.

"I was glad to see you, though," the agent added.

"Oh, sugar, it was nice to see you, too," the female Duke answered politely. "And I hope you're real happy down there in Atlanta. Now, I gotta go to my family. You take care," she added, with a slight squeeze to his arm. And, finally, Daisy walked away.


	25. A Whole Lot of Colors in One Place

_There's no point in delaying it - all stories must end. I'm sad to see this one go, though, and not only because it was a personal favorite, but because I just don't see any Dukes stories in my future. Of course, this could turn out to be like a Barbra Streisand farewell tour - the first of many. But as of now, I don't have anything else on any of the burners ( front or back) for Dukes._

_Mining is obviously a dangerous profession, and strip mining does horrible things to the land. I never meant any harm to those who earn their living through mining coal, and if anything I've said here causes anyone harm, I am truly sorry. If you take anything from this story, let it be that miners work awfully hard, and in great danger, for little pay or recognition. Next time you read about a mining disaster, imagine Bo Duke in the middle of it, and I imagine it'll pull at your heartstrings a little bit. _

_Again, in this chapter, I get a little anachronistic. Some of the long-term health effects of strip mining were not really known or named by 1976._

_Thanks to so many of you for sticking with me all the way through this story. Your encouragement helped me in not only completing the final chapters (which grew from one or two to five, even as I wrote), but provided me with the courage to post some of the ones I was more concerned about. And since this may just be my swan song, I have to mention HazzardHusker, who not only helped me post my first story, but whose friendship actually kind of made this last story possible._

_I still don't own the Dukes. Nor Hazzard. And although some real events were incorporated into the plot, none of the characters are based on real people, living or dead. I've earned nothing but sleepless nights from having borrowed the boys. And now, finally, I give them back._

**

* * *

**

Chapter 25 – A Whole Lot of Colors in One Place

Spring and summer passed by almost before the small family knew what had happened. Now that the boys no longer needed to hide their car, they drove it as often as their schedule around the farm allowed. They'd upgraded the safety devices, which Luke had deemed top priority, with Jesse's blessing. But the boys agreed that there would be no cosmetic improvements until the cotton crop had actually sold. Though they had every reason to believe the mill would survive into the fall, the events of the past spring had made the family cautious. Besides, the wait gave Bo time to work on a name for the vehicle that they'd simply been calling "him" up until now. Luke watched his cousin as he devoted himself to finding a name, almost as diligently as he'd worked on building the car itself. It struck him funny, but he stayed clear of Bo on that one. Luke genuinely believed that the younger boy understood the car better than he ever would.

Daisy, too, was excited that the boys' car was fully functional. It meant that the yellow Plymouth was hers now, and while that part was nice, it wasn't the thing that made the only remaining female Duke the happiest. What meant the most to Daisy was that, for the first time, both she and the boys had powerful cars, and they could race against one another. Bo and Luke were great drivers, but Daisy wasn't any slouch behind the wheel herself. And there was no one in the entire county that was her match, except her two cousins. She finally had reasonable competition.

Besides, it was a game that involved all three of the Duke kids, and Daisy hadn't been able to enjoy one of those since they were all much younger. For once, the boys didn't have to go out of their way to include their female cousin. There was no one in the county that they would rather race against.

Along with tending to the production cycle of the cotton he was growing, Jesse was well engaged by his duties as board member at the cotton mill. He'd been elected Chair of the board, for a term of one year. He'd agreed to take the position on the condition that it only lasted twelve months, and that all the other members were willing to be active. So far it seemed that he'd built an excellent coalition, because they'd all banded together to inform the county commissioner that they'd be repaying the loan in full, and that their current fiscal plan did not anticipate the need for further monies from Boss Hogg's bank. The rotund man in white had been less than pleased, but seeing a united front that consisted of twelve men, he'd simply accepted the payment and cancelled the debt.

Luke continued to correspond with Sarah. The Scotia Mine had been closed for good, now, and the town of Oven Fork had lost population as a result. Sarah stayed on the land that she'd inherited, and developed what appeared to be bronchitis, but was not responsive to antibiotics. This did not stop her from making daily trips to the neighboring town of Eolia, and caring for the town's children. There seemed to be an epidemic of illness amongst kids there, which, for lack of a proper medical name, was called "blue baby syndrome." Though the children were not actually turning blue, they were experiencing an awful lot of cancerous symptoms. Nothing could be proven, but Sarah believed it was the result tainted drinking water. Sediments, uprooted by the strip mining that had become the primary means of digging out the coal in the county, had contaminated a lot of the local creeks and the river, all of which fed the reservoirs.

Luke had suggested that Sarah's own symptoms were possibly the result of something similar, like airborne particles. He'd gone so far as to propose that she should consider leaving the area, adding that his family would be glad to help her settle in Hazzard, if she liked. He'd received a curt response that informed him that she was born and would die on her family's property. The oldest Duke cousin understood, and sent his friend an apologetic letter. Correspondence continued, but Luke realized that some day he would likely cease to hear from her, when she became too ill to communicate any more.

As summer became fall, the family had to give up racing and board meetings for the harvest. It was grueling work, and since it was a crop the Dukes had not grown before, they hadn't yet determined the most efficient way to harvest it. They worked from the earliest rays of the sun until they could no longer see at night, week after week. Once they'd returned to the house for the evening, they'd have a meal and go quickly off to sleep. During the first week they'd learned the hard way not to sit or lay down anywhere other than a bed, because they were so exhausted they'd fall asleep wherever they landed. A night on the couch or in Jesse's old chair meant a stiff back in the morning, which certainly didn't get better through the long day of picking cotton.

The days grew shorter, until one day in mid-October, the harvest was done, and the Dukes successfully sold the cotton to Ridge Owens for processing. The family celebrated with a meal of Jesse's famous crawdad bisque and an afternoon lounging on the soft grass under the perfect blue autumn skies; the boys tossing a football back and forth. As evening fell, they headed back toward the farmhouse where Jesse surprised them all by pulling Tilly out of the barn and challenging his kids to a night race. Since there was no real course and no rules, no one ever knew who won, but the four of them had the most fun they'd had since before Luke had joined the service.

* * *

One day, when the cooler weather had stripped most of the leaves from the trees, the family got a call from the Haines patriarch, announcing the birth of his first grandchild. Hazzard's small town etiquette required a visit from the Duke family to the Haines house, bearing small gifts for the child. This was certainly not a burden to any member of the family, all of whom were ready to see some happiness in the Haines household. 

Steve Haines showed the Dukes into his house, where his older brother was holding his younger bother's child. The four of them were awed to see such a charming scene. Katie Jane smiled sweetly at Bo, and beckoned him to come and see her son. The other Dukes followed at a distance.

"Bo, I want you to meet Robert Beauregard Haines," Katie Jane introduced.

"Robert Beauregard," Bo echoed somberly, looking into the eyes of the young woman that he'd spent so much time with in the earliest stages of her pregnancy. "Hi, little Rob," he added, turning his attention to the infant. "You shouldn'ta given him Beauregard for a middle name, though. He'll never live it down."

"Beauregard is a fine name, Bo," Katie Jane admonished him. She'd seen the youngest Duke, year after year, insisting that teachers call him Bo, and not Beauregard. But she'd always thought his full given name fit him, despite his protests to the contrary. "And we wanted him to be named for the two bravest men I know, who would go so far and do so much to try to help their families."

Hiding his embarrassment by focusing on the baby, the blonde reached out as if to touch the little one. Bo was surprised at how tiny little Robert Beauregard was. His own hand seemed dangerously large in comparison to the infant's body. The blonde began to draw back, frightened of hurting the child, but Katie Jane took his hand and placed it gently on the baby's arm.

"You won't break him, Bo," she said with a grin. "Maybe you'd like to hold him?"

"Uh, oh, Daisy… she would," the teen stammered.

Katie Jane stood, laughing. "Ken, let me have him," she quietly asked her husband. Then, moving close to Bo, she carefully transferred the baby into his long, work tanned arms. "I know you're scared, Bo, but little Rob there, he don't bite."

"Right," Bo answered, swallowing hard. He looked up to find Ken almost laughing at his nervousness, but when he turned to his own family, he saw only love and support.

"He likes you," Luke informed him. "Look at the way he's looking at you." And the child did indeed seem to be fascinated by Bo.

"He's never seen such yellow hair before," Katie Jane teased.

"He's never seen anything this handsome before," Bo said, grinning at Ken.

The Haines boy took the bait. "Well, at least we know this one's going to be beating Dukes on the football field, just like his daddy used to." Whereas normally a loud discussion would have broken out about who exactly had beaten whom, and who'd thrown which interception that lost which game, instead, the group remained somber, as Bo returned the baby to its mother.

Once his hands were free, Bo offered his right to Ken, "Congratulations, buddy."

"Thanks," the oldest Haines boy answered.

Bo stepped aside to let Daisy congratulate Ken, then watched her take the baby from its mother and settle on the couch. The teen stood back with Luke and watched the little domestic scene in front of them.

"Daisy's gonna want a baby soon," he observed quietly.

"What about you?" Luke asked, with more seriousness than Bo expected. Looking at his cousin, Bo confirmed what he'd heard. Luke wasn't teasing him.

"Not any time soon; don't you worry," the blonde answered with a smile, casually draping an arm across the other boy's shoulders. "Nah, I'll still be at the Boar's Nest, standing next to you, so at least one or two of the girls will look at you after I've had my pick."

Luke was about to provide Bo with a dissertation on how the older boy had taught him everything he knew about picking up women, when a gentle nudge and headshake from his uncle stopped him. They were here to welcome a new child into the community, not prove which of them was a hotter commodity in Hazzard County's only roadhouse. The boys turned their attention back to their hosts.

* * *

After the visit, cruising around in their brilliant orange car, Bo was quiet. The boys had chosen not to go straight back home, and now they were wandering idly through the dusty back roads of Hazzard. 

"Something on your mind, cousin?" Luke asked, noticing that the blonde was neither driving recklessly nor talking, a truly unusual occurrence. If anything, the younger boy seemed to be just coasting aimlessly, and below the speed limit. This worried Luke.

"I was just thinkin', maybe we should name the car the General Lee, what do you think?"

Luke thought it was a mouthful, but at least it was rhythmic. Some of the other thoughts he'd seen his cousin jot down over the last month or so were a lot harder to imagine.

"I think it sounds kinda right," Luke said. "Of course, it means you're gonna have to be a gentleman whenever you're in the car. You gotta live up to his name, after all."

Bo grinned. "Now we ain't changin' my name, cousin. We're just christening the car, is all." After a moment, the teen turned serious again. "An' I think it's only fitting that since his full name will be General Robert E. Lee, it'd remind me of Robby some, too."

"I guess," Luke answered. "How does it feel to have a namesake, anyways?"

"That poor kid," Bo laughed. "At least they made it his middle name, not his first. It's kinda flattering, but kinda crazy, too, you know? I ain't that brave."

Luke chuckled. "Brave. Bo, you don't gotta do somethin' crazy like dodging bullets to be brave. Leavin' home to try to earn for your family when they're in trouble is brave. And goin' into them mines every day, even after you knew what the risks were, that was brave, too," Luke said, patting Bo's shoulder. "You ever do it again, and I'll beat the tar out of you, though."

Bo laughed, just a little. "Thanks, Luke."

* * *

Even as he helped his younger cousin and the town's mechanic put the finishing touches on the General Lee, Luke couldn't help but be honest. 

"That's a whole lot of colors in one place."

"It looks great, though, don't it?"

Glancing at Cooter, Luke knew he was outnumbered. Besides, now that he could see it for real, and not just imagine it, he was coming to think that this was, in fact, a good looking car.

"Well, I'll tell you what. As soon as he's dry, we'll take him out and see what Rosco thinks," Luke said with a wink.

* * *

The late afternoon sun picked out the boys' car long before it got into the farmyard, and Jesse could hear the engine roar as it got closer. He could rest; he knew his boys would be home and safe for another night. 

Rest was not in the white haired man's immediate future, however. Those boys of his galloped into the house, giggling. And sprinted straight out the back door, heading for the tree line. Within a few minutes, sirens told him that the Hazzard law had arrived; then the loud banging on his door confirmed it.

It put old Jesse in mind of a time when Enos used to come calling as a child. _"Hi, Mr. Uncle Jesse, can Bo and Luke come out to play?" _

"Them boys ain't here Rosco," Jesse announced even before opening the door.

"Ijit! That's a fine story, Jesse Duke, but I can see their car right there. Heck, they can see that car clean over in Chickasaw, khee khee!" Rosco stood on the porch alone, dispelling the older man's memories of his kids at a younger age. Besides, he mentally corrected himself, had it been Enos, that boy would have been asking after Daisy, not Bo and Luke.

"Their car is here," Jesse admitted, "But they ain't. You're welcome to look," the boys' uncle offered, stepping back from the door.

"Now, Jesse, I know you wouldn't be offerin' if they was actually in there," Rosco said, drawing upon his very rusty detective skills.

"Don't be so sure, Rosco. I don't know what they done to you, but they been actin' like kids lately an' it might not be bad for them boys to spend the night in jail. Why are you lookin' for 'em, anyways?"

Looking madder than a wet hen and stammering to beat the band, Rosco pointed to his patrol car. Sandwiched between so many nonsense utterances that it almost sounded as though the sheriff was suffering with a terrible case of rapid-fire hiccups, Jesse got something of an answer.

"Gij! I mean, ijit, just look at it! Giji-goo! I just – I just –"

"What, Rosco? It looks a little dirty is all."

"Dirty? Why, it's filthy, gyu, is what it is! I just had it cleaned, and them boys of yours, they just, ijit! I was just sittin' you know, on the side of the road monitoring traffic, and they done went flyin' past, kickin' up mud, ijit! And then, on purpose, ol' Bo there, he swerves to hit a big old puddle, and it just, gyu, it just went all over my car, gijit!"

"Got your car dirty, did they?" Jesse responded, trying to stay serious. "Well, now, I thought you was talkin' about somethin' more important, like missin' chores or bein' late for dinner or somethin'. Sorry, Rosco, I was of a mind to let you have them for the night, but it seems like I got a bigger infraction here at home than you do. So just be on your way."

"But, Gij!"

"Have a good night now, Rosco," Jesse advised him, closing the door.

As soon as he was sure the sputtering lawman was gone, Jesse called out the back for his boys. He assumed they hadn't gone any further than the trees behind the house, since they would have wanted to hear the exchange between him and Rosco. After a few calls and no response, the white-haired man decided to go looking for his kids. Normally he'd wait for them to come home on their own, but in these last days before winter, the opportunity to spend some time outdoors was just too appealing.

The Duke patriarch wandered for some time, simply exploring the Duke acreage for the first time in a while. He used to take this walk more often, but over the past couple of years, he had slowed down some. He didn't really know when it had happened, but the results were obvious. Whereas he'd once been in the same kind of shape that his nephews were, now his gut had expanded so much that he could no longer see his own toes. He missed those little buggers down there. He'd have to get out for this kind of a walk more often.

Finally, Jesse Duke located his boys. They'd come to a wooded portion of the property, where the soil had never been tilled nor crops planted. Under the shade of these old maples and oaks, many of the Duke ancestors had been laid to rest. Zoning laws now prohibited burying the dead anywhere other than the Hazzard Cemetery, but until the 1940's the Dukes had used this family gravesite. Bo, Luke and Daisy's parents were not buried here, and neither was their Aunt Lavinia. The children had never really had cause to spend time at this old burial ground. But Bo and Luke were here now. Jesse approached quietly.

Bo was kneeling, clearing away the high grass in front of a simple marker. Luke squatted slightly behind, one hand on his younger cousin's shoulder.

"He was only seventeen, Luke. You didn't tell me that."

"I hadn't really done the math, but yeah, Carleton was a couple of years younger than you, I guess," the older boy answered giving Bo's shoulder a squeeze.

"It don't seem fair that he never got to do stuff like gettin' married or havin' kids. At least Robby got the chance to get married, even if he never saw his kid."

"Yeah," Luke answered quietly. "You know, when I was lookin' for you in Kentucky, and I read about that first blast," the older boy paused, and unexpectedly shivered.

"What, Lukas?" Bo turned to look at his cousin. Had those boys of his not been so focused on each other, they would have noticed Jesse, standing just outside the remains of the rail fence that surrounded the small cemetery.

"Well, one of the first things I thought was that if you was one of those fifteen… I realized that I'd always figured our kids would grow up together, just like we did. And I thought if you was gone, well, you wouldn't have any. I've always wanted to see your kids, Bo. And even more, I've wanted to see how you'd raise 'em."

"Shoot, Luke, don't rush me." The boys chuckled quietly. "Did you ever wonder how Jesse felt, losing all his brothers like that?" Bo asked.

"I never used to, but yeah, now I do. I can't imagine how you'd go on, after that."

The old man announced his presence by coming closer and intentionally rustling some leaves with his feet.

"It wasn't easy," Jesse answered. "But I had your Aunt Lavinia. An' then later, I had you boys and Daisy. And I really wish your daddies had lived to see you grow up," his voice cracked, though it didn't stop him from speaking. "But I wouldn't have traded a minute with you kids for anything."

Luke stood and offered his cousin a hand up. Each approached their uncle and gave him a hug. With a smile, Jesse slung his arms around his boys, and headed them towards the farmhouse.

"Now, let me tell you about the time that me and Isaac and Carleton got chased by J.D.'s momma for sneakin' a pie off'n her windowsill. She had this old shotgun you see…"


End file.
